Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 26/ Trend G.Mehdi/
There is no shortage of rice for domestic consumption and negotiations have been conducted to import rice from Uruguay and Pakistan, the Fars News agency quoted Mohammad-Hossein Barkhordar the head of the Iranian association of imports as saying.
There are sufficient reserves of rice and other staple foods, he noted.
Aside from India, talks have been carried out with Pakistan and Uruguay for the importation of rice with high quality and at reasonable price, he said.
Iran imported some 708,000 tons of rice, valued at around $681 million, in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 20, the Mehr News Agency reported On November 6.
India, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan were the main exporters of rice to Iran, Mehr cited statistics of the Iranian Customs Administration.
Meanwhile, the Fars News Agency quoted Iran's State Commerce Organization Managing Director Abbas Qobadi as saying that Iran imported wheat from U.S., Kazakhstan, Russia, Canada, Brazil, Ukraine, and Germany.
Some 4.2 million tons of what has been consumed since the beginning of the year and 2-2.5 million tons is expected to be consumed by the end of the year, he noted.
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