Massoud Rasouli, Secretary of the Iranian Association of Meat and Protein Products Packaging Industry, stated that this year there is no need to import red meat, as domestic production is sufficient to meet market demand. He explained that market demand has dropped by about 50% compared to last year.
According to Agrofood News, quoting Mehr, Rasouli said that due to this decline in demand, the existing livestock population in the country fully covers the domestic need for red meat, removing the necessity for imports, including from Brazil.
Elaborating on the situation in the poultry sector, he noted that the number of broiler chicks placed in farms in Farvardin 1404 (March–April 2025) was about 160 million, whereas in Farvardin 1405 (March–April 2026) it decreased to around 100 million. This indicates a reduction of about 30–40% in chicken meat production.
He added that in the red meat market as well, demand from retail outlets across the country in Farvardin this year has fallen by roughly 50% compared to the same month last year. This decline is also reflected in import statistics.
Over the past few years, the per capita consumption of meat has decreased in Iran, mainly due to the erosion of household purchasing power.thumb_upthumb_down
