Iran
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| AGRICULTURE |
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During the war against Iraq, some cultivable zones were battlefields and this led to an increasing dependence on foodstuffs. Iranian agriculture is still not self-sufficient in spite of considerable progresses in this activity. The main culture is wheat which covers 37% of arable lands. Grain surfaces and yields increased sharply since 1980. The other important cultures are citrus fruits, tea and pistachio nuts.
Fishing is developing especially in the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Besides, Iran is one of the main producers of caviar (about 20% of the world production).
Agricultural population (in thousands)
Total population
69 788
Agricultural population
17 157
Non agricultural population
52 632
Source : 2004, FAOSTAT
Land use
Cultivated surface area
63 012 000
Irrigated surface area
7 650 000
Number of farms
n.c.
Number of tractors
258 000
Source : 2003, FAOSTAT
Production indicators
Main crops
| Product | Production (in thousands) | Harvested surface (1000 ha) | Yield by hectare (kg/ha) |
| Wheat | 14500 | 6499 | 2231 |
| Sugar beet | 5273 | 199 | 26514 |
| Sugar cane | 4723 | 55 | 86012 |
| Potatoes | 4284 | 195 | 21971 |
| Tomatoes | 4200 | 130 | 32308 |
Source : 2005, FAOSTAT
Livestock
| Specie | Headcount (in thousands) |
| Sheep | 54000 |
| Goats | 26500 |
| Cattle | 8800 |
| Beehives | 3400 |
| Turkeys | 2000 |
Source : 2005, FAOSTAT
Fishing (in metric tons)
| Shellfish, mollusks and cephalopods | Saltwater fish | Freshwater fish |
| 22 393 | 324 708 | 111 534 |
Source : 2005, FAOSTAT