Maragheh County Apple Producers Directory | Iranco
Cold-chain network, Shehad & Sib Sahand processing, export lanes and a 24+ firm directory
B2B guide to Maragheh apples — 300–350k t output, 60+ cold stores, Red/Golden Delicious, Pani & Almond plants, Russia/India export and the Bonab–Maragheh fruit terminal.
Value chain & national role
Maragheh County on the southern Sahand slopes and Lake Urmia basin is northwest Iran’s strategic apple hub. Mountain climate, steady sunshine and wide diurnal swings build dense flesh, balanced sugars and deep skin colour; over 23,000 growers farm more than 15,000 hectares.
Key production & infrastructure indicators
| Indicator | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Annual apple output | 300,000–350,000 t |
| Maragheh share of province | ~52% |
| East Azerbaijan total apple | 700,000–850,000 t |
| Active orchard holders | >23,000 |
| Export-grade premium | 180,000–250,000 t |
| Nominal cold capacity | 180,000–238,000 t |
| Active cold stores | 60–67 units |
Cultivars & technical profile
| Cultivar | Harvest window | Technical traits | Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Delicious | Late autumn | 15–18 psi firmness, high Brix | Cold store & export |
| Golden Delicious | Late autumn | Long storage & transit | Gulf & Russia |
| Gala / Delbar Stival | Mid-season | Harvest spread | Fresh market |
| Granny Smith | Mid-season | Higher acidity | Fresh retail |
| Shafiabad local | Regional | Distinct flavour | Wholesale |
Product streams & processed derivatives
| Stream / product | Specs | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Super / export grade 1 | Uniform calibre & colour | Cold chain & export |
| Grade 2 fresh | Domestic consumption | National wholesale markets |
| Industrial / windfall | 10–20% of crop | Concentrate & puree |
| Clarified concentrate | 65–70 Brix | Beverages & bakery |
| Aseptic puree | 32–38 Brix | Fruit leather & baby food |
| Fermented vinegar | Natural acetic acid | Food & wellness |
| Dried chips | Moisture <12% | Snacks & dried fruit |
| Pectin / feed pellets | Press pomace | Dairy gelling & feed |
Logistics matrix & industrial nodes
Maragheh–Hashtrud, Alamdar, Khodaju and Bonab corridors link orchards to 60+ cold stores and plants such as Shehad Sahand and Sib Sahand.
| Axis / zone | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maragheh–Hashtrud axis | Orchard to cold hub link | Alamdar junction & Khodaju |
| Alamdar industrial zone | Processing & cold storage | Shehad Sahand, Sib Sahand, Donar |
| Tabriz road (Pehrabad) | Concentrate plant | Shehad Sahand / Pani brand |
| Bonab–Maragheh highway | Wholesale trade | Central fruit & veg terminal |
| Varjuy & Baasat complex | Mechanised export sort | Pars Sedid, Takdaneh Motahar |
Post-harvest physical flow
Field pick & triage
Grade-1 fruit straight to boxes and 0–2°C cold rooms.
Primary holding
90–95% RH to limit shrivelling and weight loss.
Sorting
Manual halls or mechanised lines with colour cameras and load cells.
Export packing
Wax, trays, mesh foam and telescopic cartons.
Industrial stream
Windfall fruit to local plants or Urmia/Tabriz concentrate lines.
Cold-storage permits are considered saturated in Maragheh, while one concentrate plant and two puree lines cannot absorb tens of thousands of tonnes of windfall fruit.
180,000–250,000 t/year can exit borders; Russia, India, Iraq and the Gulf each demand different calibres.
Active company database
Processing & conversion plants
| Unit | City | Activity | Products | Export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shehad Sahand (Pani brand)Brand: Pani041-37450000 | Maragheh | Fruit processing plant | Clarified concentrate, juice packs, puree | Active |
| Sib Sahand Co-op (Almond brand)Brand: Almondتأسیس ۱۳۷۳ | Alamdar | Puree & fruit paste | Aseptic apple puree, paste, concentrates | Active |
| Qorbanzadeh Foods (Kehagh)Brand: Kehagh09143337500 | Industrial town | Complementary processing | Puree, fruit leather, chips | Active |
| Ilqar Maragheh FoodsBrand: Ilqar | West Maragheh | Canning & vinegar | Apple compote, concentrate, pickles | Active |
| Negin Fam TopBrand: Negin Fam | Goltappeh | Fruit processing | Apple puree and pulp | Active |
| Nour Sahand FoodsBrand: Nour Sahand | Alamdar | Packing & drying | Chips, dried fruit, sorting | Active |
| Eilson Dried Fruit WorkshopBrand: Eilson | Golshahr | Traditional processing | Fermented vinegar, apple chips | Active |
Cold stores, sorting & export
| Unit | City | Activity | Products | Export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pars Sedid Pishraz TradingBrand: Pars Sedid09121961305 | Varjuy | Sort & export | Export red & yellow apple | Export |
| Mehregan TradeBrand: Mehreganinfo@mehregantrade.com | Maragheh | Export trading | Premium Lebanese yellow & red | Export |
| Azaran Sib SahandBrand: Azaran Sib | Hashtrud | Cold store & sort | 4,000 t capacity complex | Export |
| Sarmaye Sahand MaraghehBrand: Sarmaye Sahand | Khodaju | Dual-temp cold store | Export apple holding | Export |
| Donar Sib Saeedi Cold StoreBrand: Donar09141774819 | Alamdar | Export prep | Export packing services | Export |
| Buran Sahand Cold StoreBrand: Buran Sahand | Alukandi | Above-zero storage | Commercial red & yellow | Active |
| Kian Marz Cold LogisticsBrand: Kian Marz09122586335 | Alamdar | Export logistics | Pre-cooling & container load | Active |
| Mandegar Sahand Cold StoreBrand: Mandegar | Alamdar | Sort & storage | Seasonal holding | Active |
| Adelim Sahand AzerbaijanBrand: Adelim | Alamdar | Food & cold hub | Technical apple storage | Active |
| Fadak Agri-Industry Co-opBrand: Fadak | Sarajuy | Co-op cold & trade | Cold storage & export | Active |
Trading, wholesale & co-ops
| Unit | City | Activity | Products | Export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takdaneh Motahar AzerbaijanBrand: Takdaneh Motahar | Varjuy | Pack & export | Sorted fresh apple | Export |
| Oghab Neshan Iranian TradingBrand: Oghab Neshan | Azarshahr | Food export | Fresh apple, dried fruit, concentrate | Export |
| Maragheh Growers Co-op UnionBrand: Growers Union | Maragheh | Market coordination | Bulk sort, crates, support buying | Active |
| Qorishipour Wholesale StallBrand: Qorishipour | Fruit terminal | Commission wholesale | Bulk & box apple | Active |
| Ahmadi-Mehr Wholesale StallBrand: Ahmadi-Mehr | Fruit terminal | Commission trade | Autumn red & yellow | Active |
| Mohammad Ranjar WholesaleBrand: Ranjar | Fruit terminal | Broker & bulk | Hand-picked & industrial loads | Active |
| Sib Sorkh Maragheh Cold StoreBrand: Sib Sorkh | Hashtrud | Prep services | Physical grading | Active |
Fruit terminal & commission trade
The central fruit & veg terminal on the Bonab–Maragheh highway sets daily cash prices and feeds Tehran, Tabriz and Sanandaj; peak-season industrial apple auctions run from the same hub.
Target export markets
| Market | Calibre | Pack | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia & EAEU | Large Red Delicious >150 g | 10–12 kg telescopic cartons | MRL, reefer via Astara |
| India | 60–120 g calibre | 18–20 kg bushel cartons | Non-GMO, extended pre-cooling |
| Iraq & Afghanistan | Mid-size Red & Golden | Plastic crates | Land transit Tamerchin |
| Oman & UAE | Uniform super-lux | Laminated export cartons | Bilingual labels, CA logistics |
Bottlenecks & strategic outlook
Scaling aseptic puree and local pectin, CA retrofits on cold rooms, export consortia and realistic FX export rules are the four levers to lift Maragheh’s apple chain.
Iranco’s specialist team can connect you with active players in this chain.