Iran to put 199 agroprocessing projects into operation during Government Week

Iran to put 199 agro-processing projects into operation during Government Week

TEHRAN- The Head of the Center for Development of Mechanization and Agricultural Industries has announced the inauguration of 199 agro-processing and food industry projects during Government Week.

According to IRNA from the Ministry of Agriculture, Karim Zolfaghari added: "These projects have the capacity to absorb and process approximately 1.82 million tons of agricultural raw materials and will create employment for 12,427 people, marking an important step in increasing the productivity of agricultural products."

The Head of the Center for Development of Mechanization and Agricultural Industries stated: "In addition to the projects set to be inaugurated during Government Week, 761 semi-finished agricultural industry projects with physical progress exceeding 50% are currently underway across the country. If financial resources are secured and these projects are completed and operationalized, the capacity to absorb and process about 10 million tons of agricultural raw materials will be added to the country's industrial capacity."

He added that in line with developing the capacity of agricultural industries and completing the production process, over 16,700 operating licenses have been issued so far. "These units collectively have the capacity to absorb more than 114 million tons of agricultural raw materials and create employment for approximately 270,000 people," he said.

Regarding the ranking of provinces in terms of projects to be inaugurated during Government Week, Zolfaghari specified: "In terms of investment value, the provinces of West Azarbaijan, Mazandaran, and Markazi rank first to third, respectively; and in terms of the number of projects, Khuzestan, West Azarbaijan, and Kerman rank first to third, respectively."

He added: "In terms of job creation, West Azarbaijan, Khuzestan, and Mazandaran have secured the top ranks in the country."

The Head of the Center for Development of Mechanization and Agricultural Industries described the development of agro-processing and food industries as one of the most important tools for preventing raw material sales, reducing waste, and increasing the added value of agricultural products, stating: "We must act in such a way that a greater share of the country's production, after processing and packaging, is offered to domestic and export markets with higher added value."

He said: "Processing industries can transform the country's agricultural production advantage into an export advantage, especially since global markets are moving toward high-quality, standardized products with proper packaging and traceability."

Zolfaghari added: "Upgrading technology, smartening production and processing processes, improving packaging, increasing productivity, and complying with export standards are requirements for the development of processing industries, and investment in this sector must receive greater attention than in the past."

EF/MA

source: tehrantimes.com