Iran’s agriculture minister Javad Sadatinejad says the country’s grains output rose by 13.5% in the year to late August.
Sadatinejad said on Monday that Iran’s total production of wheat, barley and corn rose to 20.3 million metric tons (mt) in the year to August 22, up from 17.9 million mt reported for the year to late August 2021.
The minister made the remarks in a speech in the central Iranian city of Qom about efforts to ensure Iran’s food security at the time the country faces US sanctions.
Giving a breakdown of the grains output figures, Sadatinejad said Iran’s production of barley and animal feed corn had surged by 30% and 18%, respectively, in the year to late August.
He said Iran’s rice production increased by 25% over the same period while wheat purchases from domestic famers increased by 55%.
Elaborating on other achievements in Iran’s farming sector, Sadatinejad said agricultural exports from the country hit historic highs in the year to August, adding that vegetable exports had risen by 20% over the period to reach a total of $1.2 billion in value terms.
He said Iran is now a major supplier of agricultural products to other countries, adding that apple and chicken exports to Iraq and Pakistan have risen in recent months while Iran has been able to launch exports of four agrifood products to China despite US restrictions on trade with the rest of the world.