By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 27
Iran and European companies will cooperate in cultivation of oilseeds, the Iranian deputy agriculture minister, Abbas Keshavarz, said, IRNA news agency reported Aug. 27.
The first joint production will start by autumn, he said, adding that the two sides will jointly produce sorghum at the first stage.
He did not unveil further details about the European counterparts.
The Islamic Republic has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany which will pave the path for cooperation of the two countries’ private sectors in the agriculture sector, Keshavarz said.
The cooperation is aimed at transferring the technology for production of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides into Iran, he added.
The government has a raft of plans to improve irrigation and seed technology. Among them is a target to introduce modern irrigation systems to 450,000 hectares of farmland.
Iran has approached a number of countries in terms of cooperation in food production. France, a leading producer of crop seeds, is one of them which Iran hopes would help improve its agricultural yield. A French delegation visited Iran last September with a focus on farming and food.