June 19, 2024

Iran buys 4.4 million tonnes of domestic wheat worth over US$1.3 billion

Iran has purchased approximately 4.4 million tonnes of wheat, valued at over US$1.3 billion, from domestic producers since April as part of a national plan that guarantees the purchase of locally produced wheat, Tehran Times reported.

Alireza Mohajer, a senior official with Iran's Agricultural Ministry, announced that this figure is 200,000 tonnes higher than the corresponding period last year. He added that the government has already paid over US$500 million to farmers, with the remaining amount to be disbursed gradually.

Mohajer noted that the wheat harvest is currently underway in 25 provinces and will continue until late September. The southwestern province of Khuzestan leads in wheat supply with 1.6 million tonnes, followed by Golestan, Fars, and Ilam provinces. However, these rankings may change as harvesting begins in temperate provinces, except for Khuzestan, which is expected to retain its top position.

Iran's wheat production has increased by 6% in 2023, placing the country 14th among the world's top producers of this strategic grain, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s World Agricultural Production report. Iranian farmers produced 14 million tonnes of wheat in the 2023 crop year, an increase of 800,000 tonnes from the previous year's 13.2 million tonnes.

In 2022, Iran was ranked as the world's 13th largest wheat producer by the USDA. The department also predicts that Iran will maintain its wheat production at 14 million tonnes in 2024, the same as in 2023.

This increase in Iran's wheat production comes at a time when the global wheat production has decreased by about seven million tonnes, reaching 782 million tonnes this year. Despite being the 18th most populous country in the world, Iran has produced more wheat than several other countries, including Brazil and Egypt.

-      Tehran Times