BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. Iran’s agricultural production is predicted to decrease by nearly 40 million tons in the current year (from March 21, 2025, through March 20, 2026), said Peiman Alami, the chairperson of the Iran Agricultural Entrepreneurs Chamber, Trend reports.
Speaking at a press conference in Tehran on April 15, Alami explained that the reduction in agricultural output is due to a significant decrease in the amount of water allocated to the sector this year, which has been cut by approximately 24 billion cubic meters. In previous years, the agricultural sector received around 63 billion cubic meters of water annually.
He further noted that the Ministry of Energy had reduced the water supply to the agricultural sector due to drought conditions and lower rainfall, as well as the availability of more affordable and electric-powered water for irrigation.
“Over the past 50 years, the problem of water scarcity in Iran has not diminished; on the contrary, it has increased every year, and the electricity shortage has further exacerbated the water crisis,” he added.
The agricultural expanse of Iran encompasses in excess of 12 million hectares, with an annual output presently quantified at 134 million tons. The nation is strategically positioning itself to elevate this metric to 160 million tons by the year 2028.
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