Iran and Uzbekistan have great potential to expand their cooperation in various agricultural fields, Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Water and Soil Affairs Safdar Niazi said

“Boosting productivity of production and basic resources, cooperating in the field of research and development of modern agricultural technologies, extraterrestrial cultivation, and organizing specialized exhibitions to facilitate economic and trade activities in the private sector are among the capacities for bilateral cooperation,” Niazi said addressing the 15th meeting of the Joint Commission for Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation of Iran and Uzbekistan in Tashkent on Tuesday.

He put Iran’s share of the agricultural sector in gross domestic product (GDP) at 8.7 percent.

The deputy minister also put the under-cultivation area in the country at 18.5 million hectares, saying that 124 million tons of agricultural products are annually produced in Iran.  

Providing food security, producing at least 90 percent of basic goods and food products, safeguarding and promoting genetic reserves and increasing food health are among the main strategies of the Ministry of Agriculture in Iran, he added.

Niazi added that Tehran was ready to cooperate with Tashkent in the field of sustainable natural resource management, water in particular.

“We are ready to form specialized working groups between the two nations and share our experience to materialize sustainable projects,” Niazi said.

He further announced Iran's readiness to export technical and engineering services as well as pipes and fittings, irrigation supplies and equipment and other new technologies in the agricultural sector to Uzbekistan.