Iran Reopens Pulse Import Registration as Industry Warns of Excess Supply
Iran has reopened import-order registration for lentils, beans, chickpeas, mung beans and other pulses from 12 Shahrivar 1405. The decision comes as agricultural sector representative Reza Kangari warns that existing imports are already large enough to create spoilage and domestic market risks.
Registration opens without a trading-history requirement
Iran has reopened registration for pulse import orders, allowing traders to apply through the country’s Comprehensive Trade System from 12 Shahrivar 1405. The measure covers lentils, beans, chickpeas, mung beans and other pulses, according to Mehr News, which cited the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad’s Commercial Development Department.
The latest registration round is being conducted without a requirement for applicants to demonstrate a previous trading record. The same exemption applied during the preceding round. The ministry said the reopening follows a decision by Iran’s Market Regulation Headquarters to facilitate imports of essential and necessary agricultural goods. The information provided by the authorities did not specify an import volume, registration deadline, tariff arrangement or list of approved origins.
Imports have helped limit price fluctuations
Mehr News linked the policy to changes in Iranian food consumption as household purchasing power weakened during the country’s economic difficulties. Consumers increasingly moved toward less expensive foods, with pulses replacing some meat consumption. Potato consumption has also risen substantially during the past two years, the publication reported.
Imports have helped keep pulse prices relatively stable over the past year, according to Mehr News, while a significant share of demand previously directed toward meat has shifted into the pulse market. This gives import policy a direct role in food affordability. Reopening registrations may support supply continuity for consumers and processors, particularly if demand for lower-cost protein remains elevated.
Industry representative warns of oversupply and spoilage
The decision nevertheless coincides with warnings that Iran may already have imported more pulses than the domestic market can absorb efficiently. Agricultural sector representative Reza Kangari told Asr Dena that the volume brought into the country was so large that there were now concerns about the products spoiling. He said uncontrolled imports could create problems in the domestic market, work against local producers and result in wasted resources.
Kangari also cited the discovery of more than 80 tonnes of hoarded pulses in Fars province as evidence of inadequate market management. The seizure does not establish the size of Iran’s overall inventories, but it adds to concerns about how available supplies are being stored and distributed. Importers must now assess demand carefully because registration access does not guarantee that incoming cargoes will find buyers before quality deteriorates. Domestic growers, meanwhile, face the possibility that additional imported supply could weaken their position in the market. With no official volume ceiling disclosed, the effect of the reopened window will depend on the number of orders approved, the timing of arrivals and the market’s capacity to consume existing stocks alongside new shipments.
