Mehr News Agency, Economics Group – Fatemeh Amirahmadi: Iran annually produces 18 million tons of raw animal products, from various types of meat to products such as eggs, honey, silk cocoons, etc. Last year, this production was valued at 16 billion dollars. This value in rials was 4 billion dollars for red meat, 4 billion dollars for milk, 5 billion dollars for poultry, 2 billion dollars for eggs, and the rest was obtained in the field of honey and silk cocoons.
According to the head of the country’s Veterinary Organization, in the first 6 months of this year, 706 million and 119 thousand poultry were slaughtered, and this statistic for light livestock was about 5 million head and for heavy livestock was about 700 thousand head.
Part of these products is distributed in the domestic market and part is exported.
Iran’s rank in the production of raw animal products
Iran ranks second in the world in milk production after the United States and competes with Pakistan for the second and third positions. In honey production, we hold the fourth position, in eggs the seventh position, and in chicken meat the ninth position globally.
Iran ranks second in the world in milk production after the United States and competes with Pakistan for the second and third positions. In honey production, we hold the fourth position, in eggs the seventh position, and in chicken meat the ninth position globally.
Also, in the field of aquatic products and trout farming, with the registration of production of over 600,000 tons of raw products in the aquatic field, it holds the sixth rank.
Additionally, Iran has made significant progress in providing medicines and supplements for livestock, poultry, and aquatic animals, and by producing the vaccine for highly pathogenic avian influenza, it has prevented the outbreak of this virus in the country since 2018; while in the last one or two years, this virus has affected industrial units in the United States, Europe, and even neighboring countries.
The performance chart of the country in the production of veterinary medicines includes the production of over 11 billion doses of vaccines from 40 types of vaccines, which has led to a reduction in some livestock diseases. Meanwhile, the deputy minister of agriculture announced that a 48% reduction in aquatic diseases this year brought about 6 trillion dollars (equivalent) in foreign exchange savings for the country.
Distribution of raw animal products without testing
However, one of the major concerns regarding raw animal products is ensuring the food safety of the society. Various types of meat, dairy products, etc., are proteins that families purchase at high prices to ensure the health of their children.
Industrial units, due to having laboratories, refuse to accept shipments when antibiotics are observed in milk. Subsequently, these milks are distributed by traditional dairy shops. The presence of antibiotics in products such as milk and meat causes these substances to enter people’s bodies and make them resistant to the effectiveness of medications.
Industrial units, due to having laboratories, refuse to accept shipments when antibiotics are observed in milk. Subsequently, these milks are generally distributed by traditional dairy shops throughout the city. Mothers, to obtain products without additives, often go to these small and medium-sized shops to get the best products for their young children, while some of these products are not approved for health and safety due to lack of testing.
Microbial resistance is a serious threat to the global community
Of course, confirming health and adhering to hygiene standards does not end here. One of the gaps in the country’s veterinary field is that the health inspectors present in production units, from industrial livestock farms to dairy factories, are agents of the Veterinary Organization who receive their salaries not from the Veterinary Organization but from the private sector employer.
Now the question is, how much can these agents operate in an unchallenged environment? If an industrial livestock farm, to prevent losses, sends the milk of its sick animals that have consumed antibiotics to traditional shops, can they prevent it or report the performance to the Veterinary Organization? If dairy products do not meet the desired quality standards, can these inspectors authorize their destruction?
Last year, Alireza Rafieipour, the head of the country’s Veterinary Organization, at the event of combating microbial resistance on the dedicated veterinary day, stated that microbial resistance is a serious threat to the global community today, and to control it and prevent the possibility of millions of casualties, extensive efforts must be made at the international and domestic levels.Microbial resistance is a serious threat to the global community today, and to control it and prevent the possibility of millions of casualties, extensive efforts must be made at the international and domestic levels.
He had stated that with the formation of a permanent joint committee between the Veterinary Organization and the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, and its follow-ups and decision-making, we hope that within the next 5 years, we will have no concerns in the field of microbial resistance to drugs and will be a global model.
The deputy minister of agriculture had suggested that a clause titled microbial resistance be included on the back of the licenses of veterinary technical and health officials to be a significant commitment for them.
He, stating that Iran is one of the high consumers of antibiotics in the world, announced that through guidelines, procedures, and health requirements, we must help reduce the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. In the veterinary field, the more antibiotics are used for livestock and poultry, the more the human community is endangered, because by consuming raw animal products, microbial resistance may develop in individuals, and the drugs prescribed for patients may have less effectiveness.
Today, due to increased capabilities in vaccine production and its updating, controlling and combating viral agents has become easier, but such conditions do not exist for microbes, and it is possible that microbes in pandemic forms lead to millions of human casualties.
The deputy minister of agriculture, referring to the actions and programs of the country’s Veterinary Organization to reduce microbial resistance, emphasized that not registering antibiotics as growth promoters in livestock, not registering antibiotics with shared use between humans and animals, registering herbal medicines as reducers of antibiotic use in livestock, and registering antibiotics with a withdrawal period of less than two weeks, and not registering or renewing the registration of antibiotics with a withdrawal period of more than 3 weeks, as well as monitoring the control of residues, especially antibiotics and heavy metals in raw animal products, are among the ongoing actions and programs of the drug and treatment office of this organization.
According to this government official, microbes compete intelligently with humans and open various paths to preserve themselves, so much so that they continue their life at different temperatures, and this is a warning bell for human life.
This warning is so serious that the global film industry has produced many films in this field.
Persistence of the meat market gap
The existing challenges in the meat market today are more in the field of supplying products at appropriate prices. The elimination of the preferential exchange rate of 4200 from livestock inputs in 2022 caused the supply of livestock inputs to face a astronomical increase. Accordingly, we witnessed many earthquakes and aftershocks in the red meat market.
The elimination of the preferential exchange rate and the lack of financial ability of traditional livestock farmers led to the slaughter of breeding livestock in 2022. This slaughter manifested itself in the meat market in 2023. At one point, the price of veal surpassed that of mutton, and government officials justified this trend by stating that mutton and veal are considered luxury proteins in the world.The lack of financial ability of traditional livestock farmers
