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The purpose of this anal sis was to review the imports and exports of agricultural products of Iran during the seventeen -
years before the revolution and compare its position with the
developing , and neighbouring counties.
The significant breakthrough in the imports of all commodities and the aqricultural goods in Iran came only after the oil price increases during the last quarter of 1973.
The importance of agricultural sector in the economy reduced and its contribution to the GNP decreased from 29.47°/to 9.l8 during 1960 -61 to 1976-77 period. The agricultural imports -- increased from Rls. 9960 million to Rls. lll,955million during the same period.The agricultural imports from l970r”7l tO187.77grew amazingly at an annual rate of 35.36 .Wheat, rice ,sugar,tea, fruits, oil meat and dairy priducts were the important import items. The exports of agricultural products including rugs, -- increased from Rls.7,726 million to Rls. 25,605 million at an ,nnual rate of 7. 30 during the seventeen years under the con— sideration.But the share of agricultural exports to total non—oil
exports decreased. The per capita imports of agricultural products of Iran during 1976-77 were Rls.3267 against the per capita exports of Ris. 747 which included rugs as well.Iran’s imports of agricultural products were very close to the total value of agricultural imports of India during 1976-77. per capita agricultural imports of Iran were more than those of Turkey, India,China and the USSR.They were less than the per capita imports of Saudi Arabia and Japan but close to that of the USA.
The significant increase in the Iranian imports of some effects on the international prices.due to the increases in imports, the per capita consumption of calories, proteins and fats showed a regular increase indicating higher level of consumption and reached close to that of the averaqe - levels.
However, it has been left up to the readers to interpret the figures and tables presented in the report and draw their own concl— usions