Tehran, Iran, February 21
By Mehdi Sepahvand –- Trend:
Iran and France are going to open a new chapter in agricultural cooperation following agreements that were made during an ongoing trip by a French delegation to Tehran.
According to Hossein Safaei, deputy minister of agriculture of Iran, the two countries will be cooperating on growing hybrid seeds, grains, sugar beets and oilseeds, IRNA news agency reported February 21.
Regarding hybrid seeds, Iran is climatically more powerful than France, so the cooperation can lead to the production of stronger seeds and export to the Eurasia region in favor of both countries, Safaei said.
Iran exported 4.838 million tons of agricultural products, worth $4.659 billion, during the first ten months of current fiscal year (March 20, 2016-Jan. 20). The exports shared 4.74 percent of the country’s total non-oil exports in terms of volume and 13.24 percent in terms of value respectively.
Safaei also pointed out that while France is an importer of medicinal herbs, Iran can offer great potential due to its diverse climate to grow medicinal herbs.
According to the official, France is also currently a customer of Iranian-grown saffron, but obtains it indirectly. As the result of the new cooperation arrangements, France will be able to directly obtain saffron from Iran, he said.
Iran exported $300 million worth of medicinal herbs from January to November 2016. Saffron comprised almost two thirds of the exports. The country produces around 210 tons of saffron each year, of which some 70 percent is exported.
The key consumer markets of Iranian-grown medicinal herbs in order of import volume are Pakistan, the UAE, Germany, Japan, and China.
Iran is generally considered as one of the most geographically diverse countries and can host 7,500 floral species, of which 1,800 are used in medicine.
