Tehran – West Azarbaijan Province has secured its position as Iran’s top sugar beet producer, accounting for around 35% of the country’s total output in the 2023–2024 crop year, according to the head of the provincial Agriculture Organization.

 

Mohammadreza Asghari reported that the province produced 2.1 million tons of sugar beet over the past year, ranking first nationwide in both production volume and yield. The crop currently covers approximately 29,890 hectares of farmland.

 

The government’s guaranteed purchase price for sugar beet with a 16% sugar content has been set at 51,500 rials (about $1 per kilogram). More than half of the province’s farms—52%—are already equipped with modern irrigation systems, helping to boost productivity and conserve water.

 

West Azerbaijan is home to six sugar processing plants with a combined daily capacity of 21,000 tons. Asghari said the province is also prioritizing high-density planting, mechanized transplanting, and advanced drip irrigation systems to further enhance water efficiency and production sustainability.