Agriculture in Iran

Agriculture in Iran encompasses crop cultivation and livestock production across arid plateaus, mountain regions, and temperate coastal zones. Irrigation and water management shape production in many regions.

Qanat: An underground channel that carries groundwater by gravity from an upland aquifer to settlements or fields. Qanats have supplied irrigation water to Iranian farms for centuries.
Wheat: A widely cultivated cereal grass whose grains are used for food, feed, and industrial products. Wheat is a staple crop in Iran’s rain-fed and irrigated farming systems.
Irrigation: The deliberate application of water to soil or crops to support plant growth. Irrigation sustains crops where rainfall is insufficient or poorly timed.
Lake Urmia: A hypersaline lake in northwestern Iran whose area has undergone severe decline. Agricultural water withdrawals are among the pressures on the lake and its tributaries.
Iranian Plateau: A high, mostly arid plateau occupying much of Iran and extending into neighboring countries. Its elevation and dry interior create sharply differing agricultural conditions.
Rice cultivation: The cultivation of rice, typically in flooded or water-managed fields. Rice production is concentrated in Iran’s wetter Caspian provinces.
Groundwater depletion in Iran: The decline of groundwater reserves in Iran caused by withdrawals exceeding replenishment. Overpumping for farms has lowered water tables and damaged aquifers.
Land subsidence in Iran: The sinking of land in parts of Iran, often caused by intensive groundwater extraction. Pumping water for agriculture has contributed to subsidence in several basins.
Alborz: A mountain range in northern Iran that separates the Caspian coastal region from the central plateau. Its rain shadow and watersheds shape farming conditions north and south of the range.
Pistachio: An edible seed from the tree Pistacia vera, cultivated commercially in dry regions. Iran’s arid interior supports important pistachio-growing areas.

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