Iran Produces Record 14.1 Million Tons of Wheat Amid Severe Challenges

Iran has achieved a record wheat harvest of 14.1 million tons this year, the highest level ever recorded in the country, despite drought, irregular rainfall, economic difficulties and the effects of two US-Israeli wars. Deputy Agriculture Minister Majid Aanajafi announced the figure on Sunday, adding that overall agricultural and horticultural production had also increased by around seven million tons, highlighting broader growth in Iran’s farming sector.

The record harvest reflects years of investment in agricultural research, scientific experimentation and cooperation between researchers, government institutions and farmers. According to Aanajafi, around 10,000 experts, researchers, managers, officials and farmers participated in a nationwide effort to transfer scientific findings from experimental fields into practical farming. Iranian researchers have increasingly focused on developing agricultural methods suited to the country’s own climate, soil, rainfall and water limitations rather than directly applying techniques developed for European conditions.

Wheat research has particularly emphasized drought tolerance, genetic diversity and regional adaptation. Iranian scientists have studied hundreds of wheat genotypes under different moisture conditions and have also used molecular markers and genomic-selection techniques to identify varieties capable of maintaining stable yields under environmental stress. The approach recognizes that drought resistance depends on complex interactions between genetics, rainfall, soil moisture, temperature and crop development, leading researchers to identify varieties suited to specific regions rather than relying on a single high-yield crop nationwide.