Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 25
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran has bought 8.1 million tons of wheat at 94 trillion rials (about $3.1 billion) from domestic farmers in the current year, said Ali Ghanbari, the Islamic Republic's deputy agriculture minister.
The figure indicates a growth of 1.4 million ton from the year before, he noted.
Ghanbari further said that the government paid off its debt to wheat farmers, Iran's IRNA news agency reported Oct. 25.
The Iranian government launched 1022 centers for purchasing wheat from farmers in 31 provinces, he added.
Iran's administration increased guaranteed purchase price of wheat from farmers to 11,500 rials per kilogram this year, Ghanbari said.
Government also has bought about 400,000 tons of durum wheat, which is planed to be exported, he added.
Iran's annual cereal production is estimated to rise to 19.8 million tons in 2015 from 19.1 million tons in 2014, according to the latest report released by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The report forecasts Iran's annual wheat production will increase to 13.5 million tons this year from 13 million metric tons the year before.
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