TEHRAN, Iran, April 29. Iran is planning to replace rice and vegetable cultivation with cotton to reach self-sufficiency, said an official in the Ministry of Agriculture Ebrahim Hezarjaribi, Trend reports citing Mehr News Agency.
"Cotton cultivation will replace other products including vegetables and rice and it would be developed in northern regions of Golestan, Mazandaran, Ardabil, and Northern Khorasan provinces," he said.
He went on to say that there will be less development in cotton cultivation in West Azerbaijan Province, while it will be developing in south and west of the country.
Iran expected to produce 327,000 tons of cotton in the last Iranian year (started on March 21,2021) but the production dropped to 250,000 tons due to drought and power outages.