“During the years before the Fourth Five-year Development Plan (2005-10), water productivity in the agro sector amounted to less than 10%. Afterwards, measures were taken to improve the figure and today agro water productivity stands close to 44%,” Alireza Parastar was also quoted as saying by IRNA. Parastar noted that based on the Sixth FYDP (2017-22), water productivity should increase by 7% per year. This, he added, will help Iran battle the acute water crisis it is currently facing, according to Financial Tribune.