Farmers in Astrakhan region last year sent abroad 70 thousand head of sheep, 10 thousand head of cattle, and 40 tons of meat. As reported TASS head of the Department of livestock regional Ministry of agriculture and fisheries Alexey Shishkin, exports have increased 2.5 times.

"Exports have grown 2.5 times. Outside Russia, the region has sent 70 thousand heads of sheep and 10 thousand heads of cattle. Delivery was including in Azerbaijan, Jordan, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia. Also last year, the first time Iran had sent 40 tons of lamb directly," - said Shishkin.

He explained that previously, Astrakhan meat supplied to Iran in transit: first animals alive were transported to Azerbaijan where there is a certified slaughterhouse, then within three days the products were already delivered to Iran.

In the past year, the Astrakhan company "the Hell" received a certificate for the primary processing of meat for Iran. Now the company has a long-term contract, so the supply of meat in the Islamic Republic will be regular.

"We still have two Astrakhan organization accredited to send meat to Iran, they are already certified. (...) We are more profitable to put the meat in living form, and cut through the slaughterhouses. This creates additional jobs in the region. So the plan for this year the increase in export of livestock products which passed primary processing (slaughtering, cooling, etc.)", - said Shishkin.

According to him, according to 1 January 2018, the number of sheep in the region is 1 million 477 thousand heads (an increase for the year of 3.7%), cattle - 289 thousand (an increase over the year - 1.5%). Overall last year outside the area was sent to 400 thousand heads of sheep and 28 million cattle.

The region provides itself with lamb and beef.