“The import of any such shipments after the deadline will be banned,” Ali Maqouli also told Mehr News Agency.
Every year and during the rice harvest season, the government bans rice imports in support of local farmers and production. The ban starts in July-August and is lifted in November. Iranians consume 3.2 million tons of rice a year, of which more than 2.2 million tons are supplied by domestic farmers and the rest are procured through imports.
India and Pakistan are the main exporters of rice to Iran, according to Financial Tribune.