Colza cultivation has begun in Iranian provinces, according to the director of Agriculture Ministry’s “National Oilseed Project”.
“Colza seeds, sufficient to cultivate 500,000 hectares of farms, as well as the required tools and equipment, were distributed among farmers in August,” Alireza Mohajer was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
Cultivation, he said, has started in the cold western and northwestern regions of Iran, namely Hamedan, East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, northern Ilam and Kermanshah, on Sept. 6.
Mohajer called on colza farmers in other regions to start cultivation within the next week.
Last week, colza production season ended and according to the official, more than 400,000 tons of colza were produced in the country.
“Close to 160,000 tons of oil will be derived from the total colza production, which will save us between $400-450 million worth of foreign exchange,” Mohajer was quoted as saying by Young Journalists Club.
The government, the official added, has bought 380,000 tons of this year’s colza oilseeds as part of its guaranteed purchase plan.
To control the local market for strategic crops, the Iranian government purchases the crops from farmers in bulk, stores in reserves and then distributes them throughout the year.
“Plans are to increase land under colza cultivation and produce around 600,000 tons of this oilseed next year,” he said.
The provinces of Golestan in the north, Ardabil in the northwest and Khuzestan in southern Iran are top producers of colza oilseeds in Iran.
According to Mohajer, Iran imports $4 billion worth of oilseeds and raw vegetable oils.
The ministry plans to achieve 70% self-sufficiency in the production of oilseeds in a 10-year program to keep imports of oilseeds and vegetable oil in check.
“The plan kicked off in late 2015. Our oilseed production stood at 46,000 tons in the fiscal 2014-15. Last year, the figure reached 340,000 tons to register a sevenfold increase,” he said.
Mohajer noted that due to the reimposition of US sanctions on Iran, the Agriculture Ministry plans to expedite efforts to reach the 70% goal.
Per capita vegetable oil consumption in Iran is about 18-19 kilograms a year while the global average is 12 kilograms.
