TEHRAN Iran's wheat import during the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2001) increased by 1.4 million tons and reached 5.6 million tons, the Persian daily *** Hamshahri *** quoted an informed source as saying here on Thursday. "The country's wheat needs in the current year had been estimated at 10.5 million tons," it noted, adding that some 6.6 million tons were to be met from domestic production, IRNA reported. It said before the month of Mordad (July 23 - August 22) started, the government had agreed to purchase some 4.2 million tons of wheat form domestic farmers but, it added, the Agriculture Jihad Ministry announced that the country's total wheat production would stand at 5.2 million tons only. "In other words, the government has to import another consignment of 1.4 million tons of the crop," it noted. According to the source, Iran has met its current year's wheat needs mainly from australia, Canada, Argentina, France as well as Kazakhstan. It further noted that in case drought continues and the Agriculture Ministry's forecasts are not fulfilled, the government would have to import much more wheat. Iran is one of the biggest wheat producers of the world. The country imports some six million tons of wheat from abroad each year to meet its domestic needs. Iran is bracing for a third successive year of drought, suffering from its worst drought in three decades in 2000. Last year's drought destroyed an estimated 2.8 million tons of wheat crop and 280,000 tons of barley, as well as 800,000 heads of livestock. Officials have said that 12 of Iran's 28 provinces were expected to be affected and large cities, including the capital Tehran, may face water shortages. While this year's drought is affecting fewer regions, experts say its impact may be greater in communities which have not recovered from the losses of the past two years. A fact-finding U.N. mission last year put Iran's loss from the drought at dlrs 3.5 billion.