Iran faces an annual shortage of 1.2 million tonnes of rice, which needs to be covered through imports, Commerce Minister Massoud Mirkazemi said in comments published on Saturday. The figure was lower than an estimate given by the minister in June, when he was quoted as saying Iran needed to import 1.7 million tonnes in the year to March 2009 to supplement forecast domestic production of 1.5 million tonnes.
"Annually, the country is faced with a rice shortage of about 1.2 million tonnes which should be provided through imports," Mirkazemi told the ISNA news agency. "We were forced to turn to imports in order to make up for the shortage of about 1.2 million tonnes," he said, without giving further detail.
Rice is a staple in Iran, a country of 70 million people straddling Asia and the Middle East. It is the world's fourth-largest oil producer. For the past few years, Iran has been trying to become self-sufficient but because of various issues, including a severe drought this year, the Islamic state has not been able to achieve its goal.
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