Iran’s wheat production expected to reach 15M tons in 2023/24 crop year

IRAN — Iran’s wheat production is anticipated to hit 15 million tons in the current crop year (September 2023-2024), according to Alireza Mohajer, the Deputy Agriculture Minister for Cultivation Affairs.

Since March 20, the beginning of the current Iranian year, the government has purchased 9.5 million tons of wheat from farmers, a 15 percent increase from the same period last year.

The government purchased 10.4 million tons of wheat from farmers last year. However, with an annual wheat requirement of 11.5 million tons, Mohajer highlighted that the current production trend will enable the country to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat production.

The government purchases wheat annually to build reserves and supply the market steadily. Wheat is a staple food in Iran.

Recently, the government spent over US$2.22 billion to purchase wheat from local farmers as part of a national plan to guarantee the purchase of domestically produced wheat, ensuring stability and support for Iranian farmers.

“This significant increase underscores our commitment to supporting local agriculture and securing our food supply,” Sohrab Sohrabi, the Agriculture Ministry’s Wheat Project manager, stated.

A recent report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated that Iran produced over 21 million tons of grain in the 2023 crop year, placing it among the top grain reserve holders in Asia.

The report, titled “Outlook of Food Products and Situation,” noted a production of 21.1 million tons of grain in 2023, a more than two percent increase compared to the previous year.

FAO data revealed that Iran produced over 13 million tons of wheat in 2022 and 13.5 million tons in 2023. The country’s total cereal stocks reached 12.1 million tons in the previous year, up by 100,000 tons from the year before.

In May 2023, an FAO report ranked Iran 43rd in the world for food imports, despite being the 17th most populous country. The report indicated that industrialized nations are the largest importers of food products globally. Nevertheless, Iran stands among the top producers of agricultural products worldwide.

China leads the world in grain reserves with 399 million tons, followed by India with 64 million tons, and Turkey with 12.7 million tons.

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