Iran, FAO launch ‘Soil Doctor’ project in Golestan
Safdar Niazi Shahraki, during a meeting with economic activists and agricultural investors in Golestan Province provided a report on the FAO-linked "Soil Doctor" project, saying, "The Islamic Republic of Iran is the 27th country to collaborate in this international project, and Golestan Province has been chosen as the national pilot. Productive meetings and visits have been conducted in this regard, and the province has now become the hub of soil science studies in the country."
He mentioned the allocation of around 6 billion tomans for soil studies in Golestan by the Water and Soil Deputy and added, "An additional 1.5 billion tomans was allocated to the province last year by the Planning and Budget Organization."
The deputy minister emphasized that large-scale modern irrigation systems are typically implemented on 200 to 300 hectares, whereas in the cooperative project of Vahdat and Resalat in Golestan, 4,000 hectares have been designated for modern irrigation systems.
Referring to the launch of the comprehensive water and soil infrastructure plan in three northern provinces, Niazi expressed hope that this project would attract around $1 billion in investment across these provinces. He thanked farmers and producers while calling for special attention to Golestan as a key agricultural production hub. The official proposed that at least 20 to 30% of provincial credits be allocated to the agricultural sector, compared to just 6% last year.
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