Iran imported a total of 665,000 tons of rice during the current Iranian year’s first eight months (March 21-Nov. 21), showing a 24% rise compared with the similar period of last year, according to the director general of Distribution and Sales Coordination Bureau with the Government Trading Corporation.
“Some 445,000 tons of the total consignments were imported by the private sector and the remaining 220,000 tons by GTC,” Hojjat Baratali was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
GTC is the lever for enforcing market controls and is in charge of maintaining a supply of wheat, rice, cooking oil and meat for the country’s strategic reserves of essential goods.
The official noted that at present, sufficient rice is available in the market and the government’s strategic reserves are in good condition.
Every year and during the rice harvest season, the government bans rice imports in support of local farmers and domestic production. The ban usually begins in August and lasts until November. Yet, this year, due to unfavorable weather conditions and low precipitation levels, leading to a decline in production, the ban was lifted two weeks earlier.
Iranians consume around 3.2 million tons of rice a year. The difference between domestic production and local need is imported from the UAE, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey and Iraq.