EU ready to launch agricultural partnership with Iran

In the first joint session between Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture and the European Union, held in Tehran on Saturday, members of the EU Commission for Agriculture & Rural Development voiced readiness to transfer new technologies to Iran in the field of agriculture.

Jerzy Bogdan Plewa, Director General of Directorate-General (DG) for Agriculture and Rural Development in the European Commission, voiced readiness to strengthen bilateral cooperation and trade in the area of agriculture between the EU and Iran adding “EU is eager to help Iran promote standards of food production and transport these products with high technology.”

He also noted that the EU could assist Iran in other fields like genetically modified seeds, agricultural machines, irrigation systems and modern greenhouse technology.

Dr. Ali Kiani Rad, Deputy Director of Agricultural Planning, Economic and Rural Development Research Institute (APERDRI) at the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture, presented a report on capabilities, capacities and programs of the country’s agriculture sector which accounts for 11.6 percent of GDP saying “the figure will climb to 32.5% if pre- and post-agricultural businesses and industries are included.”

“Thanks to the measures taken by the incumbent government, the negative trade balance of the sector rose from minus eight billion dollars in 2013 to minus three billion dollars in 2016.”

Kiani Rad however noted that two main objectives of the Sixth National Development Plan were to reach favorable trade balance in agriculture as well as to accomplish sustainable development of production sources.

The Iranians sides at the session also emphasized on the need to bolster cooperation in agricultural, technical, research fields as well as to develop trade in the area of medicinal plants.