DUSHANBE, April 21, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan reportedly plans to export eggs to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Tajik Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Sijouddin Isroilov, says 1-2 million eggs produced at poultry farms in Tajikistan will be sent to Iran in the near future.

According to him, disease has killed a large number of chickens in Iran that has resulted in decrease in egg production there, and therefore, “the issue of exporting Tajik eggs to Iran has been raised.”

Isroilov says Tajik poultry farms have stored up enough eggs for domestic market.  “Poultry farms in Sughd province have coped with providing the population of the region with eggs and now intend to sell their product in other regions, including Dushanbe,” the deputy minister noted.

In Tajikistan, current price for one egg from domestic poultry farms is 0.43 somoni, while in Iran, egg prices have risen sharply because of the abovementioned circumstances and current price for one egg there is now nearly 1.00 somoni, Isroilov noted.

Meanwhile, he noted that 10 tons of eggs have been imported into Tajikistan since the beginning of the year.

The Ministry of Agriculture says 23 poultry factories and seven private poultry farmers now function in Tajikistan.

According to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, as of April 1, 2011 there were 1.4 million head of poultry in Tajikistan.  Over the first three months of this, all categories of farms have reportedly produced 39.6 million eggs.