37% Decline in Gov’t Wheat Purchases From Local Farmers

The government has bought 4.7 million tons of wheat worth 230 quadrillion rials ($839 million) from farmers across the country, which show a 37% decline compared with last year’s guaranteed purchases over the similar period, the head of the National Wheat Farmers Foundation said on Friday.
“Purchases are estimated to continue until late September. Yet, we are confident that the figure will not exceed 5 million tons by then. This means, strategic reserves aside, the government needs to import more than 3 million tons of the staple grain to meet the annual domestic demand,” Ataollah Hashemi was also quoted as saying by the Young Journalists Club.
This is while last year, 2 million tons were imported only to fill up the country’s strategic reserves, he added.