Iran returns to wheat imports after three-year hiatus

the country’s desire to rely on its own production. The first batch, weighing nearly 5,000 tons, is part of a permit to import 30,000 tons of wheat, according to the head of the Mazandaran Grain and Commercial Services Department. The grain has already arrived at Amirabad’s Aprotector port and will soon be transported to provincial warehouses. The move is aimed at diversifying wheat supply sources and improving food quality amid recurring droughts and problems with local produce. Blending imported grain with domestically grown grain, officials said, should improve the quality of flour in the region. The Caspian Sea countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, are key grain producers in the region. The resumption of imports from these countries was a response to challenges related to unstable local harvests and rising inflation, which has led to a sharp increase in bread prices in Iran. The local authorities in Mazandaran have also introduced increased ...