According to the Iranian Student News Agency, a deputy at the Iranian Agriculture Ministry has stated that Iran will not import any wheat until March 2025, as the country will rely on its domestic wheat production.
Alireza Mohajer, the deputy agriculture minister, said that between March 2023 and March 2024, Iran’s domestic wheat production has reached 10.5 million tons, and the country only needed to import 1 million tons of wheat. He added that Iran expects to be self-sufficient in wheat production for this year.
Mohajer explained that Iran’s domestic wheat output can vary widely depending on rainfall. In some years, Iran has been self-sufficient, while droughts at other times have forced the country to import record high levels. He noted that domestic output levels fell as low as 4.5 million tons, and imports rose as high as 7 million tons between March 2021 and March 2022.
Between March 2022 and March 2023, Mohajer said that domestic wheat output was 7.5 million tons, while imports were 3 million tons.
The decision to halt wheat imports until March 2025 suggests that Iran is confident in its ability to meet its domestic wheat demand through local production. This move could have implications for global wheat markets, as Iran has been a significant importer of the commodity in the past.
The announcement comes as Iran continues to face economic challenges due to U.S. sanctions, which have limited the country’s ability to import certain goods and services. The self-sufficiency in wheat production could help the country mitigate the impact of these sanctions on its food security.