Why Can't Iran Be Self-Sufficient? The 5 Major Reasons for Importing Grain Like Wheat from Neighboring Countries

Is it because they don't have enough land? In a vast territory of 1.65 million square kilometers, only 86 million people live. It should be sufficient for arable land, right? Especially when looking back in history... But the fact is not so. Iran has to import grain from neighboring countries, including from our country. What's going on? I have compiled a complete list of reasons explaining why Iran cannot produce enough wheat on its own.

Iran — One of the Oldest Agricultural Civilizations on Earth

In our school textbooks, the fifth-grade ancient history section details the agricultural achievements of the Persian civilization. Ancient Persians not only cultivated land but also invented unique agricultural techniques at that time. Even in places where there was no black soil and water was scarce, nature said "no," they could still grow natural crops.

More than 3,000 years ago, the Persians invented the qanat (кяризы) in the Iranian plateau. This is an underground water conveyance system used as a water source for settlements and irrigation of farmland. Some of these qanats are still in use today. For example, the Gonabad Qanat, which is 33 kilometers long, still supplies water to more than 400 wells. The descendants of ancient Persians still draw water from it today. There are approximately 37,000 qanats throughout Iran.

This is how the qanat works. Nowadays, people hardly build new qanats anymore, as drilling is more convenient.

Moreover, Persia was the first region in human history to cultivate wild grasses into crops, allowing hunting to yield to farming. Archaeological excavations confirm that Persians had a 12,000-year history of wheat cultivation. In the Zagros Mountains, archaeologists found mortars, grinding stones, and pestles, which ancient people used to process grains into flour or similar bulgur-like grains.

Yet today, this country that contributed irrigation technology and wheat to the world has to rely on imported food.

The 5 Major Reasons Why Iran Lacks Food Self-Sufficiency and Has to Import

Certainly, there are many more reasons, but I will only list the main ones, so you can make your own judgment.

1. Prolonged Drought

Drought has been ongoing since 2020. Iran's terrain is mostly mountainous, and the core grain-producing areas have seen precipitation levels below normal in recent years.

I have been closely following this issue. Last autumn was just like previous years. Due to insufficient soil moisture, planting winter wheat for the 2026 harvest season has been difficult. Iranian farmers have not given up planting, still hoping for favorable weather. However, objectively speaking, rain-fed agriculture in Iran's environment has become a useless endeavor. Farmers can only take chances: why would the seventh year bring any meaningful rainfall after six consecutive years without it?

Farmer hope lies in two things: having water available and receiving subsidies — something we'll discuss later.

The impact of climate change is uneven. Crops that thrive in warm conditions (corn, rice, soybeans) have seen a 8%–12% decrease in production; winter wheat, which prefers cool conditions, has suffered less, with a 5% decrease. However, feed grain, mainly spring wheat, has high production costs, and in the context of water shortages, it is more cost-effective to purchase it rather than produce it locally.

2. What About Artificial Irrigation?

Yes, 92% of Iran's farmland uses artificial irrigation, including modern water channels, ancient qanats, and well pumps, all facilities are available. But the channels need water, and the water needs to be stored somewhere. Unfortunately, reservoirs have dried up — see the first point about drought. A 2025 study showed that due to climate change, the yield of irrigated farmland will drop another 9% in the coming years.

Iran is depleting its own water reserves. According to the Atlantic Council, at the current rate, 12 out of 31 provinces will completely exhaust their groundwater within the next 50 years. This means the entire region will gradually lose the ability to conduct artificial irrigation, and once groundwater is depleted, well pumps will be useless.

Another problem: Iranian farmers face intermittent power outages for irrigation pumps. Last year, I saw a lot of such complaints. In the irrigation system, this means that the most critical growth stages of crops cannot be watered. Delaying irrigation by 2-3 days may result in losing one-third of the harvest. There have been cases where large areas of grain fields turned into deserts due to power shortages. Russia's Rosatom helping Iran advance energy projects is not unnecessary — Iran's energy system is already overburdened...

When the pump stops, everything is over. But what's the point of growing grain on such sand?

3. Management, To Put It Nicely, Is Not Satisfactory

Water resources are already scarce, but in Iran, water prices remain low. Because the price is almost negligible, people use water without restraint. The irrigation efficiency in the country is around 33%, and in some provinces, it is as low as 15%. By comparison, Israel, which is similarly dry, has an irrigation efficiency of over 80%.

The amount of water used by Iranian farmers to grow per hectare of wheat, corn, or rice is 2-3 times the world average, and this is even in drought conditions! This is the result of poor management and low operational standards.

About 60% of Iran's farmland is used for wheat cultivation, considered a measure to ensure the people's food security. However! Local farmers prefer to grow corn, soybeans, and barley, as livestock breeding is more profitable in this climate. Ultimately, land that should be used for feed crops ends up being planted with wheat, which rarely yields much. For example, corn is almost entirely imported in Iran.

Bread is still the staple food for Iranians.

Although the wheat for people's rations is guaranteed (although not entirely self-produced), almost all animal feed is imported. If the import of feed decreases, the number of livestock will decline, leading to increased meat and milk prices. As a pragmatic economist, I can't understand: why not adjust the agricultural system, carry out land audits, and plant more promising crops instead of insisting on growing wheat? But this is not a cultural deviation, you will understand the reason by reading further.

4. High Prices of Agricultural Machinery, Fertilizers, and Seeds

Even if there is enough water, farmers can't afford to buy qualified agricultural equipment. The depreciation of the rial makes most farms unable to purchase imported fertilizers and quality seeds, resulting in decreased yields per unit area. We produce 30-40 hundredweight of wheat per hectare, while the Persians only produce 10-20 hundredweight.

Iran's wheat yield has exceeded 20 hundredweight per hectare only once.

Iran has certainly tried to produce agricultural machinery and fertilizers independently, but local production often cannot meet domestic demand at affordable prices. The final result again proves: buying finished grain is simpler and cheaper than producing it yourself. Otherwise, it would fall into a vicious cycle: currency depreciation leads to lower output, lower output requires more imports, and imports further depress the exchange rate.

5. Economic Model, Reserves, and Efficiency of Wheat Cultivation

Here we come back to the same question: 60% of the farmland is used for wheat, which could be used for more economically viable crops. Why is this the case? Because of subsidies! As long as budget funds are sufficient, no one cares about agricultural production efficiency. However, when the source of oil revenue is cut off, it becomes extremely difficult to transition to a new model.

Years of wheat cultivation subsidies have led to a continuous loss of efficiency in this industry. Farmers have no need to engage in other production: the government has maintained wheat prices for decades, even in regions where it is ecologically and economically absurd — provinces with annual evaporation rates approaching 2000 millimeters, encouraging wheat cultivation. This is a complete waste of money! Money flows like water into the sand, ultimately resulting in low wheat yields and high costs.

Another aspect of the "wheat economy" is reserve procurement. Iran has a habit of stockpiling grain. For example, not long ago, I saw in Iranian media that the country currently has 4 million tons of wheat reserves, enough to ensure that no Iranian person goes hungry. Due to prolonged drought, short-sighted management, and lack of technology, Iran cannot fill its granaries with domestically produced grain, so it has to import heavily. I hope these reserves are sufficient to prevent Iranian families from suffering hunger.

So don't think that Iran cannot be self-sufficient in food because of barren land or lazy farmers. It's the result of multiple factors systematically combined: water depletion, outdated technology, currency depreciation, and the long-standing rigid structure of the planting pattern and subsidy system. If Iran can get even 10-15 years of peaceful development, and have wise leaders, it could achieve self-sufficiency in wheat and other agricultural products.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7619965422539932179/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.