TEHRAN- Iran’s annual cereal production is estimated to rise to 19.8 million tons in 2015 from 19.1 million tons in 2014, according to the latest report released by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The report forecasts Iran’s annual wheat production will increase to 13.5 million tons this year from 13 million tons the year before.

It also estimates an increase in the country’s annual rice production to 1.7 million tons in 2015 from 1.6 million tons in 2014.

Iran’s annual maize output is forecasted to rise to 1.4 million tons in this year from 1.3 million tons in the previous year, according to the FAO report.

The report estimates that the country’s annual barley production will remain unchanged in 2015.

On April 18, Iranian Deputy Agriculture Minister Abdolmehdi Bakhshandeh said Iran’s agricultural exports in the previous Iranian calendar year (which ended on March 20) rose by 27 percent compared to its preceding year.

Meanwhile, agricultural imports amounted to $12 billion, a 9 percent fall compared to its preceding year. 

Iranian Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati has said that by producing over 90 million tons of agricultural products per year, Iran is among ten top countries in the world. 

The official said that attracting capital needed for the development of the agriculture sector is a priority of Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture, and that the government has provided all infrastructures to support foreign investment in this sector.

Iran is ranked the first worldwide for producing saffron, pomegranates, and pistachios, the second for producing dates and apricots, the third for producing figs and cherries, and the fourth for producing walnuts and apples. 

MA