Production and Consumption
See also: Demography of Iran and Iranian Economic Reform PlanThere are 22,000 food industries units in the country (2009). The capacity of these units has increased to 60 million tons from 8 million tons in the pre-Islamic Revolution era. Agricultural production stood at 108 million tons in 2008, which indicates a 20 million ton increase from 2007.
| Per capita consumption (Source:EIU) | 2009 est. | 2010 est. |
|---|---|---|
| Meat consumption (kg per head) | 27 | 27 |
| Milk consumption (litres per head) | 64 | 65 |
| Fruit consumption (kg per head) | 172 | 173 |
| Vegetable consumption (kg per head) | 184 | 186 |
| Tea consumption (kg per head) | 0.9 | 0.9 |
Iranian government policy aims to reach self-sufficiency in food production and by 2007, Iran had attained 96 percent self-sufficiency in essential agricultural products. But wastage in storing, processing, marketing and consumption of food products remained a concern.
The following is the Iranian out-put listed according to the largest global producer rankings in 2007:
| World Ranking | Commodity; |
|---|---|
| 1st | Pistachio, Berberis (Zereshk), Caviar, Saffron, Stone fruits, Berries |
| 2nd | Dates, Apricots |
| 3rd | Watermelons, Cherries, Cantaloupes & other melons, Apples, Figs, Gherkins |
| 4th | Sheep Stocks (Flocks), Fresh Fruits, Quinces, Wool, Almonds, Walnuts |
| 5th | Anise, Badian, Fennel, Corian, Chickpeas, Silk worm cocoons |
| 6th | Hazelnut, Buffalo milk, Tomatoes |
| 7th | Grapes, Onions, Sour cherries, Sheep milk, Kiwifruit |
| 8th | Spices, Peach, Nectarines, Tangerine, Mandarin orange, Clementines, Lemons & Limes, Oranges, Goat milk, Pumpkins, Squash & Gourds |
| 9th | Lentils |
| 10th | Persimmons, Tea, Natural honey |
| 11th | Hempseed |
| 12th | Citrus fruits, Wheat, Plum and sloes |
| 13th | Melon-seeds, Hen eggs, Eggplants (Aubergines) |
| 14th | Sugar beet, Fresh vegetables, Barley, Potatoes |
| 15th | Safflower seed, Artichoke |
The following items are the most important agricultural commodities in Iran, listed by their international value in United States dollar in 2007:
| Commodity; | International Value; x$1000 | Quantity; Metric Tonnes |
|---|---|---|
| Cow milk | 1,715,313 | 6,500,000 |
| Grapes | 1,391,700 | 2,900,000 |
| Tomatoes | 1,184,650 | 5,000,000 |
| Wheat | 1,169,603 | 15,000,000 |
| Apples | 764,005 | 2,660,000 |
| Pistachios | 760,184 | 230,000 |
| Potatoes | 729,601 | 4,500,000 |
| Hen eggs | 543,543 | 711,000 |
| Rice | 471,135 | 2,800,000 |
| Oranges | 404,202 | 2,300,000 |
| Watermelons | 344,091 | 3,300,000 |
| Fresh Vegetables | 328,387 | 1,750,000 |
| Dates | 313,470 | 1,000,000 |
| Onions, Dry | 313,293 | 1,700,000 |
| Cucumbers and gherkins | 290,146 | 1,720,000 |
| Sugar beet | 243,959 | 5,300,000 |
| Fresh Fruit | 223,314 | 1,400,000 |
| Cantaloupes | 218,091 | 1,230,000 |
| Walnuts | 208,506 | 170,000 |
| Cherries | 196,317 | 225,000 |
Read more about this topic: Agriculture In Iran
Famous quotes containing the words production and/or consumption:
“The growing of food and the growing of children are both vital to the family’s survival.... Who would dare make the judgment that holding your youngest baby on your lap is less important than weeding a few more yards in the maize field? Yet this is the judgment our society makes constantly. Production of autos, canned soup, advertising copy is important. Housework—cleaning, feeding, and caring—is unimportant.”
—Debbie Taylor (20th century)
“Books constitute capital. A library book lasts as long as a house, for hundreds of years. It is not, then, an article of mere consumption but fairly of capital, and often in the case of professional men, setting out in life, it is their only capital.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)