By: Kayhan International
  
Iran, despite some of the inhospitable deserts and vast arid areas, is not just self-reliant in the vital sector of agriculture, but exports to world markets fruits and vegetables exceeding ten billion dollars per year.
Wheat is Iran’s prime crop accounting for about half of its cultivated acreage and 70 percent of its grain output. The country consumes around 15.5 million tonnes of wheat a year, making some imports a necessity due to water shortfall and periods of erratic rainfall.
Iran’s agriculture policy, however, strives to make it self-sufficient in the field of wheat production through new methods and modern technology, which is beginning to show positive results.
Anyway, Iran, which in the pre-revolution days was heavily dependent on agricultural imports, today produces about 83% of its annual food needs domestically.
This has made the food industry Iran’s biggest non-oil industry with an annual turnover of around 100 billion dollars. It is also the biggest job provider among the industries, accounting for 16.8% of the total industrial jobs.
In addition, there exist 15,000 active production units in the food and processing industry in Iran, which makes it the third largest industry after oil and petrochemicals with a potential to supply an assortment of products to the domestic and export markets.
Iran’s 2025 Vision has set a production capacity target of more than 300 million tonnes.
The two most important nutrition data-x-items in Iran’s food basket are wheat and rice. These two staple crops have grown over the years in spite of the terroristic sanctions of the US, thanks to Iran’s resistance agriculture policy. 
Iran grows a wide variety of fruits that are in great demand abroad for their nutritious nature and excellent taste.
The Islamic Republic also grows various vegetables, which after meeting the domestic needs make up exports to regional countries.
Improved irrigational methods, coupled with proper harnessing of water resources, along with conservation, indicate bright future of Iran in the agriculture sector.