The heavy frost that set in around a week ago inflicted extensive damage to orchards across 17 Iranian provinces, according to Mohammad Ali Tahmasebi, deputy agricultural minister for horticultural affairs.
Director of Agricultural Jihad Organization of Ahar County in East Azarbaijan Province said 6,840 hectares out of the country’s 8,500 hectares of orchards have been hit hard by the frost.
“It is estimated that damages to orchards in Ahar amount to more than 1.62 trillion rials ($38.63 million),” Mohammad Asadi was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
Hassan Hosseini Shahruodi, representing Semnan Province’s cities of Shahroud and Meyami in the Iranian Parliament, said damage to Shahroud’s orchards due to last week’s frost have been estimated at 1.55 trillion rials (over $36,9 million).
