World Grain - October 2019 - 22

COUNTRY FOCUS

2019-20**

2018-19*

2017-18

2016-17

2015-16

2014-15

2013-14

Iran corn imports
(in 1,000 tonnes)

6,000
4,000
2,000
0
2019-20**

2018-19*

2017-18

2016-17

2015-16

2014-15

2013-14

2012-13

SELF-RELIANCE PROGRAM
An article by David Michel, senior research fellow at the
Center for Climate and Security and published by the Atlantic
Council on July 9, explains that "to foster national food security and agricultural self-reliance, Iran has deployed a multi-

(in 1,000 tonnes)

2011-12

FLOUR MILLING
7KHUHDUHDURXQGÀRXUPLOOVLQRSHUDWLRQLQ,UDQDFFRUGing to information supplied to World Grain by the European
Flour Millers Association. A delegation from the association
visited the country in September 2018. The average Iranian
consumes around 160 kilograms of bread a year. The production capacity of Iran's milling industry is 24 million tonnes a
\HDUFRPSDUHGZLWKWKHFRXQWU\¶VFRQVXPSWLRQRIPLOlion.
,UDQLDQ PLOOHUV EX\ WKH ÀRXU WKH\ QHHG IURP WKH *RYHUQment Trading Corporation of Iran (GTC). The GTC describes
its role as "procuring, supplying, purchasing, storing and distributing essential commodities." The basic goods it covers
include wheat, rice, crude oil and raw sugar. It supervises the
distribution of those goods.
The GTC carries out guaranteed purchasing of basic commodities such as wheat and rice to support the farmers and
meet consumer needs. It uses cash markets and futures and
options markets to maintain supplies and keep a strategic reVHUYHHTXLYDOHQWWRDWOHDVWWKUHHPRQWKV¶FRQVXPSWLRQ
GTC's remit also includes carrying out policies designed to
UHIRUP WKH SURGXFWLRQ DQG FRQVXPSWLRQ RI ZKHDW ÀRXU DQG
bread and supporting private facilities for the construction and
expansion of bakeries, including grants for renovation.

Iran wheat imports

2011-12

since the beginning of harvest, more than 2 million tonnes of
wheat had been purchased from farmers in the warmer regions
of the country. At that point harvesting had just started in more
8,000
temperate areas.
However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Ag- 7,000
ricultural Service (FAS) said in its Grain: World Markets and 6,000
Trade report for September 2019 that Iran's wheat import ban
5,000
remains in place, with exceptions made if the wheat is used to
4,000
UHH[SRUWDVÀRXU
"Iran's imports and exports are both expected to be rela- 3,000
tively small in 2019-20," the FAS said.
2,000
The IGC in a report in June forecast Iranian exports of
ZKHDWÀRXULQDWWRQQHVLQJUDLQHTXLYDOHQW 1,000
a level unchanged from 2018-19.
0
,UDQ DOVR LV DLPLQJ WR EHFRPH PRUH VHOIVX൶FLHQW LQ RLOseeds. The farm ministry reported in May that the Minister of
Jihad-Agriculture, Mahoud Hojjati, had called for revolutionary action to mobilize for the production of oil and rapeseed
meal. He said there were 3 million to 4 million hectares of
land used for wheat cultivation that could be considered for
12,000
rapeseed. Cultivation of the crop has grown from less than
WRQQHV LQ WR DURXQG WRQQHV FXUUHQWO\ 10,000
The Minister stressed the need to reduce Iran's dependence on
other countries for oil and poultry feed.
8,000

*Estimated **Projected
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

pronged program of subsidies and trade protection."
³)DUPHUVUHFHLYHJXDUDQWHHGSULFHÀRRUVIRUVRPHFURSV
thereby boosting supply, while consumer subsidies for bread
DQGJUDLQVHQVXUHVRFLHWDODFFHVVWREDVLFIRRGVWX൵VEROVWHUing demand," the article said. "By the same token, Tehran
VKHOWHUV SURGXFHUV EHKLQG VLJQL¿FDQW WDUL൵ EDUULHUV ,PSRUW
ZHLJKWHGWDUL൵VDPRXQWWRRQZKHDWDQGRQULFH´
Michel also said Iran subsidizes farm inputs, including water, energy and fertilizers. He put the proportion of the cost
RISXPSLQJZDWHUIURPLWVVRXUFHWRWKH¿HOGWKDWLVSDLGE\
IDUPHUVDWXQGHU
"By these strategies, Iran has in fact enhanced food production and consumption alike," he said. "Yet increased production has not kept pace with a growing population and mounting demand."
+HSRLQWHGRXWWKDWVXEVLGLHVKDYHKDGDVLJQL¿FDQW¿QDQOctober 2019 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

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World Grain - October 2019

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