Two Mongolian meat companies, Eco Food Trading LLC and Darkhan Meat Foods LLC, have begun jointly exporting meat to Iran as part of an agreement to ship 4,000 tons of lamb meat. Analysts are hopeful that Iran's interest in Mongolian meat will expand external trade. With around 61 million livestock, Mongolia has the potential to become a major provider of meat. While issues of health standards and logistics have plagued the meat industry’s growth, the new agreement with Iran signals the improvement in the export potential of Mongolian meat. The agreement to supply 4,000 tons of lamb will require 250,000 sheep, according to experts. Economists have estimated that Mongolia has the capacity to export five million livestock or around 100,000 tons of meat every year. At the ceremony of the first shipment on June 29, Minister of Food and Agriculture P.Sergelen highlighted the importance of the national agenda to improve livestock health. He noted that many more opportunities are possible if Mongolia is able to improve the health of its livestock. "Our factory has the capacity to sort and package 20 tons of meat. We are packaging the meat in accordance to the standards of Iran. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Cabinet and Minister P.Sergelen for focusing on issues that limit Mongolia's export potential. If we are able to continue what we did here, I am confident Mongolia will be able to drastically increase its revenue from non-mining sectors," said the Director of Darkhan Meat Foods LLC M.Enkhbaatar.