Iran targets food self-sufficiency amid import management strategies

Iranian officials have discussed strategies for achieving food security and managing food imports through international channels. Javad Asgari, head of the Parliament's Agriculture Commission, stated that Iran has the capacity to reach self-sufficiency in essential goods. He noted that while the country aims for absolute self-sufficiency in wheat, the goal for oil production is to reduce imports from 90 percent to between 45 and 50 percent by the end of the seventh development program.

Asgari also highlighted challenges regarding the guaranteed purchase of wheat, noting that while 13 to 14 million tons were expected to be purchased, only 8.1 million tons have been acquired so far. He warned that delays in paying farmers could lead to producers diverting wheat to livestock feed instead.

Regarding international trade, Minister of Jihad-e-Agriculture Gholamreza Nouri Qozeljeh addressed the use of blocked foreign bank resources to purchase food. He clarified that purchasing from multinational companies with American shareholders does not equate to importing American-made goods. Instead, these companies facilitate the procurement of food from various global sources, such as Ukraine or African nations, using funds that were previously agreed upon for food and medicine under specific arrangements.