The government has bought 5 million tons of wheat worth 570 trillion rials ($1.77 billion) from local farmers so far this year, data released by the Agriculture Ministry show.
Khuzestan in the south of the country with 1.35 million tons, Golestan in the north with 734,000 tons and Fars also in the south with 428,000 tons top the provinces from where the staple grain was purchased, Mizan Online reported.
Considered a staple in Iran, wheat is purchased every crop year by the government to build up its reserves and supply the market over time.
The government says it has doubled the prices of wheat it buys from farmers compared to last year.
According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, 7.07 million tons of wheat were imported during the last Iranian year (March 20221-22).
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations expects Iran’s wheat production to increase to 13 million tons in 2022 from an estimated 9 million tons in 2021, to register a more than 44% rise.
In its biannual report on global food markets, FAO has put the 2019-20 average wheat production in Iran at 14.3 million tons.
Due to the projected rise in production, imports are forecast to decline from 7.9 million tons to 3.4 million tons.
The 2018-19 to 2020-21 average import has been put at 1.6 million tons.
Wheat consumption is forecast to slightly increase to 16.4 million tons in 2022-23 from 16.2 million tons in 2021-22.
The 2018-19 to 2020-21 average consumption stood at 15.8 million tons.
According to FAO, Iran’s wheat stocks in the year ending March 2023 is forecast to decline to 6.9 million tons from an estimated 7 million tons in 2022. The average stocks during the 2019-21 period has been put at 6.4 million tons.
Per capita wheat consumption is forecast to slightly increase to 169.7 kilograms per year in 2022-23 from an estimated 169.4 kilograms per year in 2021-22.
The 2018-19 to 2020-21 average per capita has been put at 168.7 kilograms per year.
