Iran: Iran near self-sufficiency in barley

Iran's Minister of Agriculture has announced the Islamic Republic will reach self-sufficiency in barley production by the end of the year, PressTV reported June 13.

"With the current production of 3.7 million tons of barley, the country is on the brink of self-sufficiency" in that commodity, Mohammad-Reza Eskandari told IRNA in the central province of Semnan on Wednesday.

He added, however, the country's barley production must increase to 4.1 million tons per year to satisfy domestic consumption needs, adding 200,000 tons of barley was imported last year.

Eskandari briefed reporters on some of Iran's other recent advances in the agriculture sector, saying the country had also gained sustainable self-sufficiency in all agricultural products except oil seeds, sugar, corn and rice.

The minister estimated the value of Iran's agricultural exports over the current Iranian calendar year at more than $2.5 billion.

Eskandari has accompanied President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his current visit to Semnan, the President's 30th provincial visit around the country.

15 June, 2007