140K Hectares Dedicated to Organic Farming

An official with Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture says close to 140,000 hectares of land have been dedicated to the production of organic food on a par with European standards.  “Consumers need to know that organic food costs more to produce than non-organic crops, so it is generally more expensive than intensively-farmed food,” Abbas Keshavarzi added. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce don’t use conventional methods to fertilize and control weeds. Examples of organic farming practices include using natural fertilizers to feed soil and plants, and using crop rotation or mulch to manage weeds. Noting that the central and southern regions of the country have great potential for growing organic crops, Keshavarzi said low demand and lack of advanced supervision are the main problems in this agricultural subsector.

The official made the statements during the opening ceremony of the Sixth International Exhibition of Agricultural, Organic, Health and Natural Products Technology held at Tehran’s International Permanent Fairground last week.