Tehran – Iran has launched an ambitious agricultural modernization program aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in rice production and ending the country’s reliance on imports, according to Safdar Niazi Shahraki, Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Water and Soil Affairs.

 

“The initiative centers on the consolidation and modernization of 600,000 hectares of farmland in Iran’s northern provinces, the country’s main rice-producing region. Officials say the project will boost productivity through improved water and soil management, modern irrigation systems, and enhanced cultivation practices,” Niazi said.

 

He added that the plan could reduce Iran’s annual rice imports—currently estimated at around one million tons—to near zero once fully implemented, noting that the project can be carried out largely through the use of existing water infrastructure, including 27,000 hectares of water reservoirs, minimizing the need for costly new water-supply investments.

 

The project is expected to be completed within three to five years and forms part of Iran’s broader strategy to strengthen food security and increase domestic agricultural output, the deputy minister said.