Dezful Broccoli & Cauliflower Producers | Iranco
Winter brassica production, cold chain, Eurasia exports and Dezful’s Rahmat, Sabzineh, Shevin and sorting terminals
Guide to 12+ key broccoli and cauliflower players in Dezful County — Rahmat Holding, Sabzineh coop, Shevin, Alton, Exin Dez and Mehdié markets with Russia and Gulf export lanes.
Dezful agro-ecology and geoeconomic role
Dezful County in northern Khuzestan’s fertile plain combines Dez Dam irrigation, deep alluvial soils and a subtropical climate into one of southwestern Iran’s key commercial farm belts. Its core edge is off-season open-field production: brassica growth and harvest run from November through late April while central and northern Iran freeze. Near three million tonnes of annual horticultural and field output anchor a dense pre- and post-harvest cluster; broccoli and cauliflower rank as high-value export lines with compact texture thanks to cool winters and mild sun.
Dezful’s harvest peak aligning with Russia’s winter import demand opens a high-margin export window for broccoli and cauliflower when quality and the cold chain are managed well.
Product matrix, varieties and target markets
| Product line | Varieties | Supply form | Target markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh luxury broccoli | Dandy, Viking, Calabrese, Corona | Dense heads, moisture cartons + crushed ice | Russia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar |
| Processed broccoli | Emperor, Viking, surplus | IQF florets, dry powder, cut mix | Ready meals, hotels, foodservice |
| Export cauliflower | PS-4000, Silo Blanca | Half-trim / trimmed, 11–12 kg crates | Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Gulf |
| Industrial cauliflower | Local & hybrid | Brine, mixed pickle, diced | Canning, pickles, Iraq |
| Seed & seedlings | Imported hybrids | Disinfected seed, plug trays | North Khuzestan commercial farms |
Supply-chain layers in Dezful County
| Layer | Players | Axis | Product / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field production | 2,400+ contract growers, Etka farms | Dez plain & Gotvand fringe | Winter broccoli & cauliflower |
| Sort & cold | Rahmat, Sabzineh, Jafari, Exin | Wholesale yard, industrial zones 1–2 | Pre-cool 0–2°C |
| Export | Rahmat, Sakhayi, Lotfipour, Aghili | South & west corridors | Russia, Caucasus, Gulf |
| Processing | Shevin, Alton | Shushtar & Hamzeh roads | IQF, pickles, brine |
| Wholesale | Mehdié markets | Mehdié Blvd | Price discovery, inter-province loads |
Key enterprises and chain actors
Rahmat Trade Holding leads Eurasia exports with 2,400+ contract growers, mechanized sorting and 3,000 t cold storage. Sabzineh Dezful coop (since 1998) organizes smallholders with seed, sort and cold chain. Shahid Rajai and Shahid Beheshti (Etka) run mechanized production and direct Russia shipments. Shevin (Delaray Dez) covers IQF and salads; Alton (Noushin Dez) pickles and brined cauliflower. Jafari terminal, Sakhayi, Lotfipour, Dasht Aghili and Exin Dez complete sort, pre-cool and reefer loading.
Cold chain and post-harvest protocol
Morning harvest
Cut stems and move immediately to pre-cool to stop field heat.
Pre-cooling
Core temperature from ~25°C down to 0–2°C within the critical 48 h window.
Sort & pack
Superlux export grade or half-trim cauliflower; ice-lined cartons.
Reefer transit
Temperature-logged containers; crushed-ice layers on the 3,500 km Russia lane.
Russia-bound broccoli (3,500 km, 7–10 days) needs layered crushed ice in waxed cartons to hold 95–98% RH; export cauliflower ships half-trimmed in 11–12 kg crates.
Without a dedicated produce export terminal and customs inside the county, loads face slow border procedures at Astara, Mehran and Shalamcheh and cold-chain shocks. Shortage of calibrated reefer boxes in peak winter and limited IQF capacity depress farm-gate prices when exports stall. Old and new Mehdié wholesale markets link thousands of growers daily to buyers in Tehran, Isfahan, Khorasan and border stalls.
Active company directory
Agro-industrial holdings & integrators
| Unit / brand | Location | Activity | Key products | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmat Trade Mandegar Holding | Dezful | Sort, 3,000 t cold, contract export | Lead broccoli/cauliflower to Russia/Gulf | Export active |
| Sabzineh Dezful Rural Production Co-op | Mohammad ibn Jafar Rd | Seed, sort, cold, haulage | Brassica chain services | Export active |
| Shahid Rajai Agro-Industry | Safiyabad Rd | Mechanized farm, seed trials | Hybrid vegetable lines | Active |
| Shahid Beheshti Agro-Industry (Etka) | Dezful | Large state producer | Seasonal Russia exports | Export active |
Processing & value-added plants
| Unit / brand | Location | Activity | Key products | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaray Dez Food Industries ComplexBrand: Shevin | Industrial Zone 1 | IQF, salads, drying | Surplus broccoli/cauliflower | Processing |
| Noushin Dez CooperativeBrand: Alton | Dezful–Shushtar Rd | Industrial pickles & brine | Industrial cauliflower | Processing |
Export terminals, traders & sorting
| Unit / brand | Location | Activity | Key products | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farhad Jafari Sorting & Trading | Behind old wholesale yard | Sort, cold, loading | Container export | Export active |
| Sakhayi Dezful Trading Co. | Dezful | Farm supply, packing | Export produce catalog | Export active |
| Lotfipour Export & Sorting Team | Dezful beltway | Seasonal sort, icing | Broccoli & cauliflower | Export active |
| Dasht Aghili Trading | Gotvand / Badil | Half-trim sort | PS-4000 & broccoli | Export active |
| Exin Dez Cold Store Complex | Industrial Zone 2 | Pre-cool, storage | Above-zero holding | Cold store |
Wholesale hubs & markets
| Unit / brand | Location | Activity | Key products | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mehdié Produce Markets (old & new) | Mehdié Blvd | Wholesale & commission | Broccoli/cauliflower price discovery | Wholesale |
Contact atlas and product mapping
| Entity | Sector | Address | Contact | Broccoli/cauliflower role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmat Trade | Export & cold store | Avoj Sq. / Anjirak | 061-91002040 · holdingrahmat.com | Primary export line |
| Sabzineh Dezful | Chain services | Km 2 Mohammad ibn Jafar Rd | 061-42326967 · sabzdez.ir | Seed, sort, cold |
| Delaray Dez (Shevin) | Processing | Industrial Zone 1 | 061-42547921 · shevin-co.ir | IQF & salads |
| Farhad Jafari | Export terminal | Behind old yard | 09393224496 | Sort & container load |
| Sakhayi Dezful | Trading | Sakhayi office | 061-58777656 · dezcom.ir | Export catalog |
| Noushin Dez (Alton) | Pickles | Hamzeh town fork | Plant at industrial zone | Industrial cauliflower |
Value-added upgrade outlook
Contract farming with EAEU food safety certs, IQF and MAP investment, plus Dezful airport air cargo for Gulf superlux packs can shift Dezful from seasonal raw sales to a processing hub. Using sort trimmings for silage closes the circular economy loop.
Agreed-price contract buy-back shields growers from winter volatility and stabilizes plant packing lines.
Iranco’s specialist team connects you with players in this sector.