TEHRAN – Iranian farmers produce 55,000 tons of organic horticulture products every year, Deputy Agriculture Minister Mohammad Mehdi Boroumandi said.

Based on official statistics, every year 55,000 tons of organic products are produced in the horticulture sector, which is not much compared to the total amount of production in this area which is 26 million tons, Boroumandi said.

Speaking at a conference on organic agriculture on Monday, the official said: “The production of organic products has its own conditions and now we are going through the transition period for the production of such products.”

Stating that the Agriculture Ministry is working on special programs regarding organic products to be followed up in the seventh National Development Plan, he said: “According to statistics, horticulture products are cultivated in 3.3 million hectares equal to 18 percent of the lands under agricultural cultivation in the country.”

According to the official, Iran is self-sufficient in producing all horticultural products except four tropical fruits including coconuts, pineapples, bananas, and mangoes.

Boroumandi further noted that the Islamic Republic is currently exporting horticultural products to more than 200 countries across the globe.

According to the head of the Iran Organic Association, the country currently ranks 79th in the world in terms of production of organic products, while it can be among the top 20 countries in the world.

According to Reza Nourani, over 90,000 hectares of land are under the cultivation of organic crops in the country.

“Based on the 6th National Development Plan, two percent of the total area under cultivation of agricultural crops in the country should have been allocated to organic crops, which has not been realized,” he said.

He mentioned saffron, pistachio, and medicinal herbs as Iran’s top exported organic products and said: “The majority of these products are exported to European countries such as Austria, Germany, France, and Italy.”

EF/MA