Kerman - FAO and agricultural authorities in south Kerman are exploring a pilot project to combat the red palm weevil and strengthen the region’s date value chain.

 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is exploring ways to promote sustainable date palm cultivation, boost productivity and product quality, expand processing and marketing industries, and pilot measures to combat the red palm weevil in South Kerman province.

 

The initiatives were discussed during a visit by FAO Representative in Iran Farrukh Toirov to the southern province, where agricultural officials, FAO experts, local authorities and date growers’ representatives met to examine strategies for developing the region’s date industry.

 

At a meeting reviewing the outcomes of the visit, Farud Salari, head of the South Kerman Agricultural Organization, underscored the strategic importance of dates to the regional economy and local livelihoods.

 

He said agricultural infrastructure, particularly processing facilities and a more integrated date value chain, had yet to reach its full potential despite the region’s considerable production capacity.

 

Highlighting the contribution of date palm groves to employment, farmers’ livelihoods and food security, Salari said technical cooperation with FAO on a pilot project for sustainable date palm cultivation could help improve productivity, enhance fruit quality and increase orchard efficiency.

 

He identified the sustainable management of water and soil resources, greater resilience to climate change, reduced post-harvest losses, improved storage and packaging technologies, and the expansion of processing industries as other potential areas of cooperation.

 

Strengthening the date value chain, he added, would help increase farmers’ incomes and generate greater economic benefits from the region’s production capacity.

 

Toirov said transferring modern knowledge and technologies to farmers was a key component of FAO’s work, adding that the organization’s projects seek to translate scientific research and technological advances into practical improvements in agricultural production.

 

He also stressed the need for climate adaptation, noting that climate change was creating increasingly challenging conditions for agricultural production.

 

The FAO representative said the visit focused on improving date production practices, strengthening the value chain and exploring a pilot initiative to manage infestations of the red palm weevil, a major pest threatening date palm cultivation.

 

He emphasized the importance of sharing successful pest management practices and lessons learned with farmers in other areas to help contain the pest and prevent its further spread.

 

Toirov reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to continued cooperation with South Kerman, saying the organization would seek to mobilize available resources and expertise through its programs to support the development of the region’s date industry.

 

The discussions identified sustainable date palm cultivation, improved productivity and product quality, efficient water and soil management, climate change adaptation, pest control, and investment in processing and marketing infrastructure as key priorities for future cooperation.