Iran cultivates 50,000 hectares of corn in Brazil: Official
‘Gov’t committed to guaranteed purchase of extraterritorial products’
Iranian companies have cultivated 50,000 hectares of corn in Brazil, announced Reza Fotuhi, the manager of the Extraterritorial Cultivation Project of the Agriculture Ministry, emphasizing that the ministry will make efforts to expand overseas farming to two million hectares by the end of the Seventh Development Plan (2028).
Talking to ILNA on Wednesday, Fotouhi highlighted the government’s goal under the Sustainable Food Security Plan to source 10 million tons of agricultural imports through overseas farming by 2031.
“Currently, the total area under extraterritorial cultivation is estimated at 228,000 hectares. The ministry is focused on promoting this initiative to meet the Seventh Development Plan’s target of expanding overseas farming to 2 million hectares, a key strategy to reduce dependence on imported agricultural products.”
Fotouhi explained that the Iranian government guarantees the purchase of products brought into Iran through overseas farming at market rates. “However, companies engaged in these projects should sign contracts with the State Livestock Affairs logistics company and the Government Trading Corporation (GTC), ensuring their products meet the required standards for guaranteed purchase.”
He added that while some private sector firms currently import overseas-grown products into Iran, these are not yet approved for guaranteed purchase, adding that the Agriculture Ministry is working to ratify contracts with these private entities.
Corn, barley, soybeans, and oilseeds are the main crops cultivated abroad and imported into Iran, mostly from Kazakhstan, Brazil, Belarus, and Russia, the official said, noting that Iranian private sector companies are also engaged in overseas farming in Ghana, Armenia, and Pakistan.