Miller Magazine Issue: 119 November 2019

IRAN 92 MILLER / NOVEMBER 2019 million tons this year, an increase of 20 percent from the five-year average. Favorable rainfall offset flood-related crop losses experienced throughout the country in March 2019. Government of Iran in- tends to locally purchase about 10 million tonnes of the 2019 wheat harvest with the aim to eliminate the reliance on imports for domestic consumption. Iran plans to import 3 million tonnes of wheat this Iranian calendar year, according to the secretary general of the country’s Federation of Food Industry Associations Kaveh Zargaran. Barley is Iran’s second largest crop by area, av- eraging about 1.6 million hectares over the last 5 years, with production around 3 million tons, or 1.9 tons per hectare. Rice and corn round out the re- maining cereal grains, accounting for around 10 per- cent of total cultivated area, with yields averaging 4.2 and 6.3 tons per hectare. Given the physical constraints on its produc- tion, along with its rising population and income, Iran relies heavily on imports to satisfy its demand for major grain crops. From 2011 to 2015, the im- port share of consumption averaged 23 percent for wheat, 29 percent for barley, 52 percent for rice, and 71 percent for corn. Iran buys most of its corn from Brazil, with additional supplies coming from Argentina and Ukraine. Iran’s rice imports originate almost entirely from India. Soy product suppliers in- clude Argentina, Brazil, and India. Over the 2011- 2015 period, wheat purchases were spread over Australia, Europe, and Central Asia. MILLING INDUSTRY IN IRAN With an area of more than 6 million ha dedicated to wheat, some 350 flour mills, Iran is key grain player in the region. Iranians are the second biggest con- sumers of bread in the world with a per capita of 160 kilograms per person, which is six times higher than the global average. The annual bread production in Iran stands at 15 million tons. Industrial bread bak- eries have a 20% share in the total bread produc- Wheat Production, Consumption and Import in Iran (1000 Tons) 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Production 14000 14500 16800 Consumption 15900 16100 16400 Imports 200 180 100 Source: USDA Corn Production, Consumption and Import in Iran (1000 Tons) Wheat Production, Consumption and Import in Iran (1000 Tons) 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Production 14000 14500 16800 Consumption 15900 16100 16400 Imports 200 180 100 Source: USDA Corn Production, Consumption and Import in Iran (1000 Tons) 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Production 1223 1200 1400 Consumption 9800 10800 11400 Imports 8900 10000 10500 Source: USDA Barley Production, Consumption and Import in Iran (1000 Tons) 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Wheat Production, Consumption and Import in Iran ( 000 Tons) 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Production 14000 14500 16800 Consumption 15900 16100 16400 Imports 200 180 100 Source: USDA Corn Production, Consumption and Import in Iran (1000 Tons) 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Production 1223 1200 1400 Consumption 9800 10800 11400 Imports 8900 10000 10500 Source: USDA Barley Production, Consumption and Import in Iran (1000 Tons) 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Production 3100 2800 3600 Consumption 6000 6200 6400 Imports 3200 3100 3200 Source: USDA