The Middle East's recent love affair with Chinese fresh produce doesn't seem to be fading, with Iran ordering its first ever batch of bananas from Zhanjiang in South China's Guangdong province, on Oct 21.

The deal, weighing in at 36.6 tons and worth 74,120 yuan ($11,000), comes as a positive sign for Zhanjiang's agricultural sector despite the country's national export figures dipping in September.

In April this year, Iran placed an order for a whopping 100 tons of pineapples from Zhanjiang's Xuwen county, whetting the Middle Eastern nation's appetite for Chinese fresh produce.

Agriculture is a prominent industry in Zhanjiang with more than 730,000 mu of high standard farm land, thanks in part to the southern city's humid subtropical climate.

As well as pineapples and papayas, Zhanjiang is one of China's major producers of bananas, renowned for its quality. For bananas alone, the city boasts a planting area of 500,000 mu (33,333 hectares).

Iran itself has an impressive reputation when it comes to agriculture, particularly fruit cultivation, ranking as the number one producer of all Middle Eastern countries. According to statistics, the average Iranian consumes 134 kilograms of fruit annually, twice the world average.

As an important country placed in the Belt and Road Initiative, Iran is an ideal partner for Zhanjiang to increase its agricultural export growth and is being directly targeted for further cooperation, according to local government officials.

An official from Zhanjiang’s entry-export inspection bureau checks the quality of bananas being sent to Iran. [Photo/yinsha.com]

A fruitful banana harvest brings a smile to local banana planter's face in Zhanjiang. [Photo/yinsha.com]