Annual Rice Output at 2.2m Tons, Imports Top 1.2m Tons

A total of 2.25 million tons of rice were produced in the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2022), according to the deputy head of Iran Rice Union.
“According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, more than 1.2 million tons of rice were imported last year,” Ahmad Eshraqi was quoted as saying by the Young Journalists Club.
Masih Keshavarz, secretary of Rice Importers Union, says although global rice prices, particularly in Pakistan and India, are relatively stable, prices in Iran’s market have been increasing. He blames state bodies who do not cooperate in coordinating import procedures, especially the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration and the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran.
Data released by the Statistical Center of Iran show rice prices nearly doubled (with a 95% rise) in the month to Feb. 19 compared with the corresponding period of last year.
According to the report, first-grade Iranian rice went for 673,004 rials ($2.5) per kg during the month under review, registering an 18.2% rise compared to the previous month.
Rice prices have been quoted at much higher rates of up to 1 million rials per kilo ($3.8) in recent days.
In the following month alone, rice prices rose a further 10.7%.
The three northern provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan are Iran’s rice production hubs.
Director General of Agriculture Ministry’s Grains and Essential Goods Bureau Faramak Aziz-Karimi said there are 654,000 hectares of paddy fields scattered across the country, 440,000 hectares of which are located in the three northern provinces.