Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 22
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
The Iranian government has bought over 11 million tons of wheat from farmers from the beginning of harvest this year, which is one million more from the forecasted volume, Ali Ghanbari, the country’s deputy agriculture minister, said.
The figure indicates a three million tons increase compared to the preceding year, Ghanbari said, IRIB news agency reported Aug. 22.
Almost 7.5 million tons of wheat is used by bakery units per annum, he said, adding that Iran’s food industry also needs 2.5 million tons of wheat every year.
Adding the amount considered as strategic reserves to the figure, the Islamic Republic needs over 13 million tons of wheat annually, Ghanbari said.
He went on to say that Iran’s wheat reserve is over the aforementioned figure at the moment.
Food security is a serious matter for Iran given the size of its population, which has grown to over 80 million, while the country’s food basket is shrinking.
Wheat is the main crop cultivated in Iran, accounting for almost 70 percent of aggregate cereal production.
Irrigated wheat covers almost one-third of the total sown area. As a result, the bulk of the wheat crop depends on the performance of seasonal precipitation.
Earlier President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran has stored 30 million tons of wheat, which is enough for 700 days, that is, until 2018.