The Second Producer of Dates in the World

Iran is the leader in dates production with around 230,000 hectares of lands under cultivation and production approximately one million tons of the crop per year. The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2003, ranked Iran as the world's second producer and the first exporter of the commodity in the year. Many experts say that the most exquisite species of dates are produced in Iran. There are more than 400 varieties of the product in the country some of which are appreciated in the whole world. These are produced in the southern, southwestern, and southeastern palm groves of the nation. The fruit is mainly cultivated in the South, Southeast, and Southwest of the country. In Iran, there is only traditional cultivation which excludes the use of any kind of machines for harvesting. The fruits are harvested, graded and packed in the palm groves, then transported to the cold storages. Presently, the best Iran's date is sold at between US $17 and US $20 at the world markets. This price refers to unprocessed dates and if processed, the prices would be risen ten times higher the figures. The nation's per capita date consumption is at around 8.5 kilograms.