TEHRAN, Iran, Aug.4
Trend:
Iran's agriculture sector requires more financial support in current Iranian year (started March 20, 2020), said the head of Agriculture Ministry in Fars Province.
Mohammad Mehdi Ghasemi has discussed the need to support farmers in an interview with Trend.
"Cheap loans should be provided to agriculture sector, as offering expensive advances to farmers would lead to delay of loan payment," he said. "The current delayed bank loan payment in agriculture sector is $300 million, and we are forced to provide deadline for debts."
"The studies have shown that one of the challenges is the shortage of capital; therefore, agriculture development support funds are created alongside small funds for supporting women in rural area and our agenda is to increase the capital," Mehdi Ghasemi added. "Agriculture development support funds have provided more than $4 million to grape farmers in Kavar County, created jobs and led to $4.2 million value added."
"Fars Province agriculture council has approved the development of support funds and it expects more support from the Plan and Budget Organization," he said adding that the government's assigned credit to agriculture sector was insufficient to strengthen the role of agriculture sector in food security supply and its position in the economy.
"Fars Province shares 10 percent of Iran's food production and to maintain this position, we need to analyze challenges and solve the financial shortages," he said.