Tehran - Iran’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and head of the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) announced that Iranian pomegranates are not only safe but entirely organic, emphasizing that, thanks to researchers’ efforts, no chemical pesticides have been used in the country’s pomegranate orchards.

 

Speaking at the 4th National Saveh Pomegranate Festival, Gholamreza Golmohammadi said AREEEO, which employs 17% of Iran’s researchers and academic faculty, is responsible for producing more than 90% of the country’s agricultural technological inputs.

He noted that the organization currently supplies over 98% of Iran’s breeder seeds, produces more than four billion doses of human and animal vaccines annually, and safeguards over 5.5 million genetic samples.

 

He further highlighted that Iran’s oldest pomegranate research station is located in the city, home to one of the strongest genetic repositories in the country with around 762 germplasm accessions.

Of the 12 commercial pomegranate varieties officially registered nationwide, four originate from Markazi Province and Saveh County.

 

The deputy minister also pointed to the rollout of shade-net systems in pomegranate orchards, explaining that the initiative aims to prevent fruit cracking, internal whitening, sunburn, and pest damage. The project has now been fully implemented across the province.

 

He further reported that Iran’s agricultural sector has moved from negative to positive growth, reaching 3.2% and improving its trade balance by USD 3 billion.

Despite ongoing challenges, agricultural growth in 2024 increased from negative 2.6% to positive 3.2%, while the sector’s trade deficit narrowed from USD 11 billion to USD 8 billion — a positive shift of USD 3 billion.