Iran to resume wheat exports


11 April 2010
TEHRAN - Iran will resume exports of wheat after three years in the current calendar year as the nation is expected to harvest 9-12 million tons of the product, the deputy commerce minister stated.

The Mehr News Agency quoted Hamid Alikhani as saying forecasts showed that there would practically be no import of wheat this year.

The calendar year began on March 21, 2010.

The commerce ministry had obtained permits from the administration to import 6-7 million tons of wheat in the past two years, he added.

Alikhani went on saying that speculations of a wheat surplus this year has led to preliminary negotiations regarding the export of wheat from Iran to neighboring countries.

Iran exported its first wheat consignment weighing 40 thousand tons to Oman in 2007.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S., Canada, European Union, Australia, Russia and Argentina were the major wheat exporters for market years 2008-2009

© Tehran Times 2010

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20100411045521/Iran%20to%20resume%20wheat%20exports/