Iran’s annual cotton production will reach 386,000 tonnes by 2025, making it self-sufficient in cotton use in textiles, according to EbrahimHezarjaribi, cotton project executive at the agriculture ministry. In the last Iranian year ended March 20, the self-sustainment coefficient was 45 per cent, which is likely to reach 58 per cent this year, he said. The cotton sowing area is expected to reach 82,000 hectares this year and the harvest is expected to be 228,000 tonnes, he said.
The sowing area will reach 90,000 hectares by 2021 and 100,000 hectares by 2025. The production will increase by 281,000 tons by 2021, Iranian media reports quoted Hezarjaribi as saying. Iran has the capacity to increase cotton production, but the low price of cotton compared with other agricultural products discourages farmers from embarking upon cotton cultivation.
