Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 7
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
This year (started March 21, 2018), loans worth 140 billion rials (app. $3.33 million) were paid in the Hashtrud County of Iran’s northwestern East Azerbaijan Province for the purchase of agricultural equipment, said Amin Aminian, governor of Hashtrud County of East Azerbaijan Province, Trend reports referring to IRNA.
According to Aminian, this loan was issued for the purchase of 151 units of various tractors, 4 units of combine harvesters and 184 units of agricultural equipment.
Aminian added that 190 billion rials (app. $4.55 million) of loans were paid in low interest rate for the commissioning of 138 projects for rural development and increasing employment.
Noting that the unemployment rate in Hashtrud County stands at 24.32 percent, Aminian said that, although there are many potentials in various fields, the unemployment in this county of East Azerbaijan is very high.
Although Hashtrud has great potential in agriculture, processing industry, mining and tourism, its population moves to other regions of Iran due to a lack of investment and a lack of suitable jobs. Thus, while the population of the county consisted of 66,000 people in 2006, it dropped to approximately 57,000 people by 2016.