Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug.28/ Trend F.Karimov/
Iran's wheat imports decreased by 60 per cent in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year which began on March 21, ISNA reported.
The country imported some 963,000 tons of wheat in the four month period.
The imported wheat was valued at $400 million. Switzerland, Britain, and Turkey were the main exporters of wheat to Iran. Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Austria, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and Turkmenistan were other exporters of wheat to Iran.
In June, the Fars News Agency reported that the Central Bank of Iran had been authorised to allocate 70 trillion rials ($5.7 billion based on the official rate dollar of 12,260 rials) to buy wheat from domestic farmers.
The Central Bank of Iran allocated 70 trillion rials, equal to about $5.7 billion under the country's official exchange rate for domestic wheat purchases in June.
Recent currency devaluations, tied to international sanctions and lower oil exports are raising concerns about food security in the country, according to the FAO.
Iran's wheat harvest is almost finished and may total about 14.5 million tons, up about five per cent from the 13.8 million tons collected a year earlier, the FAO said.
Total grain production may be 21.85 million tons, up 3.4 per cent from a year earlier including 3.2 million tons of barley and 2.4 million tons of rice.