About 3,000 billion rials ($87.03 million at market exchange rate) will be allocated for the cultivation of colza in the current Iranian year (March 2016-17), said an official with the Ministry of Agriculture. Alireza Mohajer added that the move is aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on imports of raw vegetable oils. “As we speak, 90% of the unprocessed vegetable oil and oilseed meal required in the country are supplied through imports, which have resulted in the outflow of billions of dollars every year,” IRNA quoted Mohajer as saying. On Saturday, the Agriculture Ministry announced that imports of unprocessed vegetable oil, as well as sugar and wheat, are temporarily permitted, provided they are processed inside the country for reexport.
