Iranian ambitions in cooking oil
oils in the near future, an agriculture ministry official said
recently, reports Mena Report.
The middle-eastern country currently imports some $1 billion worth of oil - representing over 90 per cent of demand.
But according to the report the director for research and training affairs Ali Ahoun-Manash said that following ministry plans over 80 per cent of the oil demand will be produced domestically in three years.
According to Mena Report total trading imports into Iran hit $13.6bn in 1998, with Germany bringing in a 11.6 per cent, followed by Italy, Japan, Korea and China with 5.5 per cent.
Principal agricultural products for the country with a 64 million population are wheat, rice, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton dairy products, wool and caviar.
Corn and rapeseed are the global favourite as crop sources for producing cooking oil but they are currently impacted by high prices due to world shortfalls and rising demand.
