TEHRAN, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Iran exported 236,000 tons of wheat worth 84 million U.S. dollars during the past 10 months until Jan. 20, Financial Tribune reported on Tuesday.

The exports showed a 724-percent growth in value compared with the similar period last year, Abdolmehdi Bakhshandeh, deputy agriculture minister, was quoted as saying.

Iran has been self sufficient in wheat production for two years now and only imports wheat for export purposes after processing it into flour.

"The country recently agreed to buy the grain from Russia and Kazakhstan. Total shipments may reach as much as one million tons a year over the next five years," Kaveh Zargaran, Chairman of the Agriculture Committee of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, said.

Iran has been encouraging flour exports targeting more sales to Iraq and Afghanistan.