Delavar Heydarpour added that last year, close to 1.28 million tons of rice husk (or hall) were produced in Iran. "We expect the figure to rise by 3-9% this year and stand between 1.35-1.4 million tons," he was quoted as saying by Young Journalists Club.
Last year's production stood at 2.25 million tons. Ali Akbarian, deputy head of Iran Rice Union, said 2.3-2.35 million tons of rice are expected to be produced in Iran's northern provinces alone. The two northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran are home to a majority of Iran’s paddy fields, thanks to abundant precipitation in the Caspian region. As Iranians consume 3.2 million tons of rice a year, there is need to import the crop.
The government only bans rice imports during the harvest season to support local farmers. Import tariffs have increased from 22% four years ago to 40% at present for the same reason, Financial Tribune reported.