Tehran - Iran has recorded a twentyfold increase in autumn sugar beet cultivation, reaching a production level of 2.4 million tons this year—a milestone described as historic by the head of the National Sugar Beet Research Institute.

 

Speaking at a performance evaluation meeting, Abazar Rajabi emphasized that the expansion of autumn cultivation has not only strengthened the country’s self-sufficiency in sugar production but also led to substantial water savings, a key benefit amid ongoing climate challenges.

 

He noted that, with support from the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) and in partnership with knowledge-based companies, the institute has developed and registered 14 new sugar beet varieties resistant to diseases and environmental stress over the past decade. Current efforts, he added, focus on increasing their adoption by farmers nationwide.

 

The official also underlined that the expansion of autumn planting to new regions and the use of modern farming technologies are central to adapting to climate change and reducing dependence on traditional spring cultivation.