Economy, Domestic Economy
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Kyrgyz Agro Minister in Tehran

Kyrgyz Agro Minister in Tehran
Kyrgyz Agro Minister in Tehran

Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Land Reclamation Nurbek Murashev is scheduled to meet with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Hojjati in Tehran today to survey ways of expanding bilateral ties.

The two sides will discuss issues of mutual interest, including agro outsourcing, joint investments for the production of chemical fertilizers, construction of greenhouses and setting up drip irrigation systems, Mehr News Agency reported. Iran is particularly interested in Kyrgyzstan’s arable lands that are suitable for agro outsourcing.

In Iran, President Hassan Rouhani’s Cabinet officially approved the agro outsourcing program named “Beyond Border Farming” in mid-April 2016, though the Ministry of Agriculture had already engaged in the practice three years prior to this decision. The term refers to the practice of purchasing, renting or leasing arable land in another country for the cultivation of agricultural products. These products are later imported to the country that has embarked upon the scheme, or alternately, exported to other destinations by the same country. This process is aimed at ensuring food security and boosting agricultural production.

According to statistics released by the Agriculture Ministry, Iran has close to 1 million hectares of land under cultivation in several regional countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.  Yet, due to the sensitivity over the subject, no government announces the exact area of land it has purchased or rented overseas. The Iranian Ministry of Agriculture is using overseas lands to cultivate rice, corn and oilseeds, the domestic productions of which do not currently suffice domestic demand.

 

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