Tehran – Iran has set the target of producing more than 12 million tons of wheat during the 2025–2026 crop year, despite persistent drought conditions, an official said.

 

Faramak Azizkarimi, Director General of the Cereals and Basic Products Bureau, announced the goal on Tuesday, stating the projected harvest would come from an estimated 6.5 million hectares.

 

“The total area under wheat cultivation has reached approximately 6.69 million hectares, a 2.9 percent increase from last year. Of this total, 4.48 million hectares are rain-fed, with the remainder irrigated,” he said.

 

The provinces with the largest wheat cultivation areas are Khuzestan (775,000 hectares), Kurdistan (681,000 hectares), East Azarbaijan (520,000 hectares), Golestan (456,000 hectares), and Fars (449,000 hectares), Azizkarimi said.

 

“To support planting, 411,000 tons of certified seeds were produced, of which 290,000 tons have been distributed to farmers. Additionally, over 2.1 million tons of fertilizers have been supplied to growers.”

 

On contract farming, Azizkarimi reported nearly 200,000 hectares are under such arrangements, primarily wheat seed farms. Kurdistan has the largest contract farming area, while Khuzestan is expected to be the largest wheat-producing province this season.