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IRAN is a Middle Eastern country bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan, comprising 1.6 million km2 of mainly deserts and fringing, arid mountainous areas. There are also coastal plains where crops such as rice are grown. Ten percent of the land is arable. A third of the workforce in the population of 66.8 million is occupied in agriculture, which forms 21% of the GDP.
General information
- GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 5,910
- Internal renewable water resources: 117.5 km3
- Main food consumed: wheat, oil and fat, rice, sugar and honey, fruits
- Rice consumption, 1999: 28.7 kg milled rice per person per year
Production constraints
Rice is grown mostly at low altitudes and is irrigated. Both the harvested area and yield have remained more or less unchanged during the last five years. There are several constraints to sustainable rice production:
- High rainfall during September, causing difficulty in harvest and post-harvest
operations
- Increasing drought stress because of shortage of irrigation water
- Popular preference for high grain quality and aromatic rice
- Disease (blast) and insects (stem borers)
Production season |
|
|
|
Planting |
Harvesting |
Main season |
May-Jun |
Sep-Oct |
Basic statistics, Iran |
|
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
Rice |
Area harvested (ha) |
478,592 |
524,266 |
565,575 |
614,963 |
587,150 |
587,150 |
Yield (t/ha) |
3.7 |
3.8 |
4.1 |
4.5 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
Production (t) |
1,776,085 |
1,981,019 |
2,300,901 |
2,770,574 |
2,348,241 |
2,348,241 |
Rice imports (t) |
539,321 |
620,000 |
1,633,000 |
631,292 |
852,000 |
na |
Paddy imports (t) |
30,433 |
0 |
0 |
na |
na |
na |
Rice exports (t) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
425 |
na |
Others |
Population, total (x103) |
47,622 |
56,309 |
62,324 |
65,758 |
66,796 |
na |
Population, agriculture (x103) |
17,050 |
18,531 |
18,607 |
18,518 |
18,447 |
na |
Agricultural area (x103 ha) |
59,870 |
60,500 |
63,018 |
62,803 |
na |
na |
Irrigated agricultural area (x103 ha) |
6,800 |
7,000 |
7,264 |
7,562 |
na |
na |
Total fertilizer consumption (t) |
902,557 |
1,161,000 |
1,009,023 |
1,252,500 |
na |
na |
Tractors used in agric. (no.) |
150,000 |
215,000 |
228,450 |
228,200 |
na |
na |
Source: FAOSTAT online database. |
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