Production of colza is estimated to reach 350,000 tons in the current Iranian year (March 2016-17) from more than 215,000 hectares under cultivation, according to deputy minister of agriculture, Abbas Keshavarz.
“We are planning to meet, within the next 10 years, 75% of domestic demand for vegetable oil inside the country, thereby preventing the outflow of $4 billion from the country every year,” he was quoted as saying by ISNA.
The provinces of Golestan in the north, Ardebil in the northwest and Khuzestan in southern Iran are top producers of colza oilseeds in Iran.
The government has purchased over 66,000 tons of colza from local farmers since the beginning of the harvest season in March.
Every year, the government buys crops at guaranteed prices from local farmers to build up its strategic reserves and control prices in the domestic market. It encourages oilseed cultivation as part of its broader goal to limit the imports of vegetable oil.
According to the Agricultural Jihad Ministry, 90% of domestic demand for vegetable oil are presently met through imports.
