TEHRAN-- Iran has actually exported 150,000 tons of citrus fruits valued at $57 million in the very first 9 months of the existing Iranian calendar year (March 21-December 21, 2022), according to a senior authorities with the countrys Agriculture Ministry.Zahra Jalili-Moqadam, the director-general of the tropical and semi-tropical fruits office of the Agriculture Ministry, put the countrys total citrus production in the existing year at 5.6 million lots, of which 3.4 million heaps were oranges.According to Jalili-Moqadam, in the very first 9 months of this year, 107,000 tons of oranges, 37,000 tons of tangerines, and 5,000 lots of lemons were exported to other countries, IRNA reported.Iran exported about 177,000 lots of citrus fruits worth $66 million in the previous year, the official said.She attributed the growth of the countrys citrus production to the implementation of technical recommendations and optimal orchard management by gardeners in addition to the timely control of illness and pests compared to previous years.EF/ MA