The use of pesticide in Iran’s agriculture sector has slashed by 25% over the past two decades from 30,000 tons to 21,000 tons and is now half the global average, according to Iran’s Plant Protection Organization. The drastic decline comes as there are more than 4,500 inspectors and 1,100 clinics in the country under the supervision of the Agricultural Jihad Ministry, monitoring the safety and quality of pesticides, ISNA quoted the head of the organization, Mohammad Ali Baghestani as saying. As most accredited and reputable pesticide companies in Europe and the US refuse to export to Iran due to the western sanctions (imposed against Iran over its nuclear energy program), about 90 percent of imported pesticides are ready-to-use products outsourced from India and China after going through strict inspections, he added.
