Tehran - The head of the Agricultural Organization of Sistan and Baluchestan province, in the southeast of Iran, says that sustained development programs and the implementation of a banana orchard development plan can further expand the crop's production capacity and supply a significant share of the country's banana demand from domestic sources.

 

Alireza Shahraki added that expanding banana production goes beyond simply increasing the cultivated area; sustaining it also requires simultaneous attention to agricultural infrastructure, water resource management, lower production costs, support for orchard owners, and the creation of a suitable market for the product. Strengthening post-production links, including packaging, processing, and transportation, can likewise help raise added value and improve producers' economic standing.

 

He said the province's favorable climate gives it considerable potential for developing the cultivation and production of tropical crops, particularly bananas, and that the expansion of banana orchards has been placed on the agenda in line with the crop's development plan.

 

The official put the province's banana orchard area at 13,516 hectares, saying favorable climatic conditions have made the region Iran's main banana production hub, with Sistan and Baluchestan ranking first nationwide in both output and cultivated area.

 

The province's agricultural chief added that expanding orchard area, adopting modern production methods, and tapping existing capacities in suitable areas have laid the groundwork for substantial growth in banana output.

 

Shahraki identified the counties of Zarabad, Dashtiari, Chabahar, Konarak, Rask, Qasr-e Qand, and Sarbaz as the province's banana production hubs, noting that Zarabad County, known as the banana capital, accounts for the largest share of the crop.