TEHRAN – As announced by a provincial official, over two million tons of agricultural and garden products are produced in Kordestan province, in the west of Iran, per year.

Mohammad-Saleh Ahmadi, the deputy head of the province’s Agriculture Department for plant production improvement, said 1.754 million tons of agricultural products and 443,000 tons of garden products are produced in the province per annum.

The official further announced that 1,217,038 hectares of Kordestan's area is dedicated to agricultural land, which is about five percent of the country's agricultural land.

President Ebrahim Raisi has referred to agriculture as a vital and privileged subject.

The president highlighted that the Ministry of Agriculture is the main upholder of self-sufficiency in production of basic goods, ensuring food security, correct management of water consumption, reforming the cultivation pattern, dealing with profiteering in the distribution of agricultural products and preventing land use change.

“Agriculture plays an important role in the country's economy and people's livelihood, and plays a very vital role in the country's self-reliance and independence,” Raisi continued, outlining the agriculture's significant place in religious culture.

Raisi noted that one of the key elements of the nation's strength is productivity in the agricultural sector. “Self-reliance in the agricultural sector is important and considering the large capacities in the country, we can achieve self-sufficiency in the areas of food security, which is one of the plans of the Ministry of Agriculture in the 13th Administration.”

MA