In a significant move to bolster national wheat reserves, Iran’s Agriculture Ministry has successfully acquired 6.3 million tons of wheat from domestic farmers since April, amounting to over $2.22 billion. This effort is part of a broader national strategy to ensure sufficient local wheat production and procurement.
Sohrab Sohrabi, a senior official from the ministry, highlighted that this year’s purchases mark a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, when 5.741 million tons were acquired. To date, the government has paid farmers approximately $1.05 billion, covering nearly half of the total amount owed.
Khuzestan province, located in southwestern Iran, has been the leading contributor, supplying 1.62 million tons of wheat. Following closely are the provinces of Golestan, Fars, and Ilam, in descending order of contribution.
The Agriculture Ministry forecasts a total wheat harvest of between 14.5 and 15.5 million tons by the end of the crop year, which is anticipated to meet all domestic needs. This projection represents a 6 percent increase in wheat production for 2023, placing Iran as the 14th largest wheat producer globally, according to the USDA’s World Agricultural Production report. In the previous year, Iranian farmers produced 14 million tons of wheat, an increase of 800,000 tons from the year before.
Looking forward, the USDA predicts that Iran will maintain its wheat production at 14 million tons in 2024, consistent with the 2023 output. Despite a global decline in wheat production by about seven million tons this year to 782 million tons, Iran’s steady production levels have allowed it to surpass countries such as Brazil and Egypt in total wheat output. This underscores Iran’s significant role in the global wheat market, even amid challenges facing global agricultural production.
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