Wheat production up by up to 100% in some Iranian provinces

Wheat production has risen by up to 100% in some Iranian provinces thanks to bumper harvest and price incentives offered to farmers.

Iran’s ministry of agriculture said on Monday that wheat production in the northeastern province of Golestan, the third largest wheat producer in the country, had doubled this year compared to figures reported at the end of last harvesting season in August.

It said the central province of Isfahan had also reported a year on year increase of 98% in wheat crop, adding that production had also risen by more than 70% in three provinces of North Khorasan in northeast, Markazi in center and Hamedan in western Iran.

The ministry said total domestic wheat purchases had reached 11.51 million metric tons (mt) since they started in early April, up 16% compared to the same period last year.

It said the funds spent on wheat purchases had exceeded 2,030 trillion rials ($3.4 billion) of which 942 trillion rials had been paid to farmers under the government’s Guaranteed Purchase Program.

Experts say the significant increase in domestic wheat supplies in Iran is a result of better climate conditions and favorable prices offered by the government.

The government announced last year that it will raise its guaranteed price for domestic wheat purchase as part of a policy to further cut back on imports.

Annual wheat imports into Iran dropped from 7 million mt to 1.8 million mt in the calendar year to late March as domestic supplies rose from 4 million mt to 10.3 million mt over the same period.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk