Tehran – Iran's chemical fertilizer consumption remains below the global average despite steady growth in recent years, a senior agricultural official said, calling for greater investment and faster subsidy payments to support agricultural production.

 

Speaking at a meeting of the National Crop Production Headquarters, Hamid Rasouli, CEO of the Agricultural Support Services Company, cited FAO data showing that optimal fertilizer use can increase crop yields by up to 60%.

 

He said Iran currently applies an average of 180 kilograms of fertilizer per hectare, compared with the 300 kilograms per hectare recommended by agricultural research institutions.

 

Although fertilizer use has risen over the past decade, Rasouli said it remains significantly lower than the levels recorded in many advanced agricultural economies.

 

He urged policymakers to ensure adequate working capital, accelerate fertilizer subsidy payments, and remove production bottlenecks to prevent lower fertilizer use from affecting crop output.

 

Despite funding constraints, Rasouli said 2.419 million metric tons of fertilizer—equivalent to 90% of the government's 2.7 million-ton target—were supplied during the previous crop year, even though only 30% of the required financial resources had been secured.

 

He added that more than 540,000 metric tons of chemical fertilizers have been procured and distributed during the first four months of the current year, reflecting continued efforts to maintain supplies for farmers.