New AgriTech Projects to Help Promote More Lucrative Farming

Iran’s Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology has planned several agricultural technology (agritech) development projects to help promote a sustainable and more profitable farming industry.
According to the report released by the office’s biotechnology division, four agritech projects with an added value of 5 trillion rials ($22.1 million) will soon be implemented in the sector, IRNA reported.
Integrated Plant Nutrient Management is a five-year project, which is already being studied by knowledge-based companies.
The project embraces soil, nutrient, water, crop and vegetation management practices, customized to a particular cropping and farming system.
Aimed at improving soil fertility and land productivity, the project will also help reduce environmental degradation. It also aims to optimize the soil condition, including its physical, chemical, biological and hydrological properties, to boost farm productivity and minimize land degradation, the report said. 
The second initiative, a contract farming pilot project, is in the works for cultivating wheat, garlic, onion, tomatoes and oilseeds.