TEHRAN -- Iran has set a target of producing 10 million tons of agricultural products through greenhouse cultivation as it seeks to shift from traditional farming to more advanced methods and increase export revenues, a deputy agriculture minister said on Wednesday.
Muhammad Mehdi Boroumandi, deputy minister for horticulture affairs, said Iran could achieve sustainable foreign-exchange earnings from agricultural exports through active trade diplomacy and by removing infrastructure obstacles facing producers.
Greenhouse production generated more than $390 million in export value during the previous agricultural year, Boroumandi said at a specialized greenhouse growers’ conference in Shiraz.
He said the European Union had disrupted Iran’s exports for a period last year, preventing some Iranian agricultural products, particularly pistachios, from reaching target markets.
Pistachios account for about $1.7 billion in export earnings, making them the highest-earning agricultural product in Iran’s export basket, he said.
Iran currently exports agricultural products to more than 80 countries, but greenhouse products account for only 20% of its agricultural exports, Boroumandi said, stressing the need to address concerns over the safety and quality of greenhouse produce.
He said Iran was among the countries with the lowest use of fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural production.
Fars province currently ranks eighth in Iran in greenhouse production, with about 600 hectares under cultivation, Boroumandi said. The province is also facing severe water shortages and should therefore place greater emphasis on greenhouse cultivation as part of its long-term agricultural planning, he added.
Securing reliable energy supplies is a key condition for sustainable expansion of the greenhouse sector, Boroumandi said, adding that the government was working to address producers’ energy concerns and would support farmers to ensure stability in production.
Horticultural exports increased 12% over the past year, he said, adding that Iran was seeking new markets for its agricultural products through active trade diplomacy.
Boroumandi also called for greater use of advanced and knowledge-based technologies in greenhouse management and highlighted the role of universities, including Shiraz University, in transferring technical expertise to producers.
He said closer cooperation among universities, government institutions and the private sector would be essential to developing Iran’s horticultural sector, urging producers to adopt an export-oriented approach to production.
The outcomes of specialized meetings between researchers, government officials and producers would contribute to the Agriculture Ministry’s future policies for supporting greenhouse growers and expanding the country’s horticultural industry, Boroumandi said.