Just days after the lifting of Iranian trade restrictions, the Polish government has met with a delegation to discuss potential imports of fresh and dried fruits, as well as pistachios.

Members of the Islamic Republic of Iran began a trade mission earlier this week in Warsaw where talks continue into the possibility of trading crops between the two countries.

Long-term sanctions were lifted against Iran as part of the nuclear trade deal with the West recently, leading to worldwide speculation about what impact this could have on international markets.

As trade has been unviable, Iran has not been able to take full advantage of its position as the world’s leading grower of pistachios and saffron as well as its high rankings for the production of apricots, apples, cherries, dates, lemons, melons, raisins, mandarins, melons and walnuts.

"Meeting in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, two days after the announcement by the European Union and the United States to lift sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran means that cooperation with Polish agricultural sector entities has become very popular among Iranian entities," says the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

"Poland has a good reputation in Iran, seen through the prism of the work of Polish engineers who, prior to the imposition of sanctions by the international community, successfully built the infrastructure of Iran."

Both sides are discussing what products are of interest in mutually beneficial agri-food trade deals.

"The Iranian side has identified potential areas of trade and investment cooperation between Polish and Iranian entrepreneurs.

"In particular, the modernization of Iranian agriculture, increasing its efficiency through the supply of Iranian agriculture's new genetic cereals (barley and wheat), agricultural machinery, modern pesticides, fertilizers and know-how in the field of crop greenhouses and irrigation.

"The Iranian side also gave information on Iranian export capacity of agriculture encouraging the purchase of Iranian fresh and dried fruits, saffron, pistachios and raisins."

Iran is an attractive market, not just because of its 77 million-strong population, but because it is also considered a gateway to countries like Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.

Collaboration between the two countries in certain commodities is likely because the types of crops cultivated in the different climatic conditions do not compete with each other.

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