Vegetable, Flower Production to Increase
EghtesadOnline: Some 1.7 billion flower cuts as well as 2.2 million tons of vegetables will be produced in Iran by the end of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2017), registering close to a 31% and 25.2% growth respectively compared with last year.
This was announced by Mohammad Kiaei, an official with the Agriculture Ministry, Mehr News Agency reported.
The official noted that last Iranian year’s figures show there were more than 10,000 hectares of greenhouses across the country, close to 7,500 hectares of which were under the cultivation of vegetables. The rest were dedicated to flower farming.
“There is a need to increase the greenhouse area to 48,355 hectares over 10 years,” Financial Tribune quoted him as saying.
According to Deputy Agriculture Minister Akbar Mehrfard, the Ministry of Agriculture plans to transfer all vegetable farms to greenhouses within 10 years.
“As such, some 10 billion cubic meters of water will be preserved annually,” he said.
According to Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati, about 1,100 hectares of greenhouses were constructed in Iran over the 11 months to February 18.
“Plans are underway to increase the figure to 1,500 hectares by the yearend,” he said.
First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri said one of the main priorities of the government is to develop industrial greenhouses.
The biggest greenhouse in the south of Iran was launched in December in Roudan County of Hormozgan Province.
The greenhouse—constructed in an 11-hectare plot by the private sector—has created 120 direct and over 250 indirect jobs.
Bell pepper is the main product cultivated in this greenhouse, which is exported to six countries, including Russia.