Agriculture minister says Iran will now be an exporter of chicken meat

Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh, Iran's minister of agriculture, told reporters on Thursday, July 30, 2026, on the sidelines of the opening of the second specialist livestock, poultry and dairy exhibition that Iran will from now on be an exporter of chicken meat.

He said the country once imported live animals by air and has now reached the stage of exporting livestock embryos, adding that dairy product exports began several years ago. According to the minister, essential goods were supplied without disruption in recent months despite constraints caused by the war and drought.

At the same briefing, Nouri Ghezeljeh said chicken is currently being sold below its equilibrium price and that pushing prices lower could make it difficult for producers to continue operating. He added that the ministry's main approach to completing the production chain is to hand responsibility to trade associations and the private sector. The start of chicken exports comes as Iran's domestic meat and poultry market has been under price pressure for months.