Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct.22/ Trend F.Milad/
Iran has reached an agreement to buy three million tons of wheat from India over three years, the Fars News Agency reported.
The first 200,000ton cargo will be delivered to Iran in December.
Iran imported three million tons of wheat in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year which began on March 20, deputy industry, mine and trade minister Hamid Safdel said.
Based on previous reports, Iran's wheat import stood at 7 to10 million tons in the first six months of the current year.
Hadi Ghavami, parliamentary Plan and Budget Committee member had previously said that Iran imported much more than a half of its annual wheat from abroad.
On Oct.2, Fars Ghavami, said Iran imported seven million tons of its 12 million annual wheat demands during past six months (Iranian solar year begins in March 20). Iran reached self-reliance in wheat several years ago.
On October 21, Iranian MP Iraj Nadimi said that Iran should stop trading oil for wheat as the country has reached self-sufficiency in wheat production.
"Iran should trade its oil for products that are really needed inside the country like provender," the PANA News Agency quoted Nadimi as saying.
Based on reports, Iran has signed contracts with India and Pakistan to trade its oil for wheat.
The chairman of the agriculture committee at the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines had also criticised importing seven to10 million tons of wheat during the six month period.
Mohammad-HosseinKarimi told Mehr News Agency that such a high volume of wheat imports is alarming.
"This is while it had been projected that the annual domestic wheat production would reach 14 million tons and that the country would export its surplus grain," he noted.