Tehran - The Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture’s office for International Affairs and Specialized Organizations, citing the limited capacity of FAO Technical Cooperation Projects (TCP), said future projects must concentrate on the agricultural sector's main priorities and deliver tangible, practical results for the country.

 

Hassan Momeni made the remarks at the signing ceremony of a cooperation memorandum between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Agricultural Education and Extension Institute for the Integrated Date Palm Pest and Disease Management Project.

 

Commenting on the project's progress, he said it was launched by a professional team, has advanced well, and is now in its final stage.

The official added that the memorandum was signed to build on and expand the achievements of this cooperation and to make greater use of existing capacities.

 

Appreciating FAO's cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Momeni stressed the need for the organization to sharpen its focus on agriculture, saying, we expect FAO's representation in Iran to devote greater attention to agricultural activities and to strengthen cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and its affiliated organizations in pursuit of shared goals.

 

Noting that cooperation on date palm pests and diseases can pave the way for future collaboration, Momeni said considerable potential remains for joint work on other damaging pests, including fruit flies, whose significance to the agricultural sector is entirely evident.