TEHRAN- Nearly 60,000 tons of sugar beet has been harvested in Iran since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20), according to an official with the Agriculture Ministry.

Peyman Hesadi, the operator of the sugar beet plan of the ministry, said that the mentioned amount of sugar beet has been harvested in 1,100 hectares of land, and has been delivered to the sugar plants with which the related contracts have been signed, IRNA reported.

Earlier this month, the Advisor to the Agriculture Minister Saeed Saadat said that the Iranian Agriculture Ministry is going to implement the first phase of a program called “Cultivation Pattern” to improve the country’s agricultural output in the new crop year in the country.

With the implementation of this program, an important part of the farmers’ and producers’ problems, including unplanned and excess cultivation will be eliminated, Saadat stated.

Referring to the importance of food security in the country, he said: “Ensuring 90 percent of the country’s food security is the responsibility of the Agriculture Ministry."

During the last Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19), $5.8 billion worth of agricultural products were exported from the country and the share of the agricultural sector in employment was 18 percent, the official stressed.

He further noted that 32.5 percent of the country’s value-added share is related to agricultural businesses, which shows the important role that this sector plays in the country’s economy.

“Also last year we experienced a growth of 8.8 percent in this sector, while the economic balance was negative in many other areas,” he added.

Pointing out that about 125 million tons of agricultural products were produced in the country last year, Saadat said 80 percent of the country's food is produced in the agricultural sector.

Noting that due to the limited water resources and the dryness of most parts of the country, the efficiency in the agricultural sector should be increased, the official explained, “The efficiency in the agricultural sector has increased from 920 grams per cubic meter to 1,450 grams per cubic meter since [the Iranian calendar year] 1392 (March 2013-March 2014). Also, during this period, irrigation efficiency has increased from 39 percent to 45 percent.”

Emphasizing that increasing the quality of food should be a priority, Saadat said: "The quality of the country's products is currently desirable.”

MA/MA