Iran has increased its rice cultivation area to over 550,000 hectares, with the provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan accounting for most of the crop, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture said.

 

"The country’s farmers have cultivated rice in 650,000 hectares of land in 19 different provinces across the country." 

 

According to Sohrab Sohrabi, head of the Wheat and Rice Project at the Ministry of Agriculture, nearly 70% of rice cultivation in Iran has been mechanized, with only 30% still using traditional methods.

 

He also announced cultivating various local and high-yielding rice varieties nationwide, with approximately 90,000 hectares dedicated to high-yielding strains.

 

With around 20 high-yielding rice varieties available, officials anticipate a significant increase in rice production compared to the previous year, Sohrabi added.

 

Last year, Iran harvested 4.2 million tons of paddy and 2.5 million tons of white rice.