Iran, FAO launch technical cooperation program on Pistachio cultivation
A technical cooperation program (TCP) between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture was launched with the aim of increasing the productivity of pistachio across the country.
Funded by FAO, the joint project is designed to organize and standardize the complete chain of production up to the supply of Iran’s pistachio products.
The document was inked on Sunday in the presence of Iran’s Minister of Agriculture Mohammad Ali Nikbakht.
It was signed and sealed by Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Horticultural Affairs Mohammad Mehdi Boroumandi and Head of FAO Representative Ad Interim to Iran Yubak Dhoj G C with the aim of organizing and standardizing the complete chain of production up to the supply of Iran’s pistachio products.
During the signing ceremony, Nikbakht pointed to Iran’s fruitful experiences in the field of producing and increasing productivity at the production units and added that the country has valuable experiences in the fields of fisheries, stockbreeding and animal husbandry, poultry, horticulture, farming and also projects related to water and soil, including watershed management and aquifers.
Turning to climate change, shortage of resources in the world and its significance, he added that his ministry is making its utmost effort to reduce the damages that occur in the production stage using the world’s most modern technologies.
Development of value chains and intermediary-processing industries for minimizing waste is among the main programs followed up at the Ministry of Agriculture, he said, reiterating that using technical know-how and increasing productivity in the agricultural sector have been put at the top of the agenda of the ministry.
As a specialized and professional organization in agriculture, FAO can play an important role in exchanging technical know-how and experience among the member states, the minister emphasized.
He went on to say that FAO can share Iran’s successful experience in the agricultural sector with other countries as well.
The head of the FAO Representative Office to Iran, for his part, said that FAO backs measures taken by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in attracting capital and multilateral international investment opportunities.
Given the privileged status of Iran’s pistachio in the global market, maintaining and enhancing its export trend is of strategic importance for the agricultural sector, Yubak Dhoj G C added.
