April 4, 2007

Iran may export wheat in 2007/2008
 

Formerly dependent on wheat imports, Iran plans to become an exporter fo the crop by March 2008, a senior Agriculture Ministry official was quoted on Tuesday as saying.

Mohammad Reza Jahansouz, the deputy Agriculture Minister said the country's wheat production will surpass the domestic demand and the surplus may be exported.

The Iranian calendar year, ends on March 19.

The government purchased some 10 million tonnes of wheat from domestic producers in the past four years, the official said.

Iran's domestic wheat consumption has been estimated between 10.5 million to 11 million tonnes.

Iran--previously a big importer of wheat from Canada, Australia and Argentina--said it was self-sufficient in 2004 although it continued to import after that time.

Iran's Governmental Trading Corporation (GTC), which imports wheat and other goods, has said Iran was self-sufficient in wheat but subsequently issued import tenders.