Tehran - Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture has projected 180,000 tons of raw cotton production and plans to use 2,000 tons of domestically developed cotton varieties in the coming year as part of efforts to strengthen productivity and reduce reliance on imports.

 

According to Sa’dollah Mansouri, Director General of the Cotton and Oilseeds Office, cotton was cultivated on 75,058 hectares this year, with 99 percent of the area under irrigated farming.

 

He noted that the cultivated area declined by 22 percent compared with 96,612 hectares last year, largely due to water constraints.

 

Mansouri said the ministry is focusing on boosting yields per hectare through the use of improved, delinted, and coated seeds resistant to drought, heat stress, and water scarcity.

 

“Other measures include expanding contract farming, mechanized harvesting, and conservation agriculture, all aimed at improving water-use efficiency and overall output.”

 

He added that 1,610 tons of cottonseed were supplied this year, including 1,371 tons of domestic seed and 239 tons of imported seed. Since 2021, 17 new cotton varieties have been registered nationally, including the drought-tolerant domestic variety “Meleh,” alongside a range of newly introduced imported cultivars.