Iran to Boost Agricultural Sector in Post-Sanctions Era: Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An official in Iran’s state grain buying agency said the country plans to boost its international trade and investment in agricultural sector in the wake of the removal of anti-Tehran sanctions.
"We are ready for a big leap in the post-sanctions era. We hope by removing the shackles of sanctions from our farmers' hands, we can see an increase in production and even exports," Amir Hossein Shahmir, head of international trade at Ian's Government Trading Corporation (GTC), told Reuters on Monday.
He added that from among those foreign business delegations that have travelled to Iran to seek post-sanctions era opportunities, nearly all of them have expressed willingness for investment in the country's agricultural sector.
"Among the foreign trade delegations there are always businessmen keen to invest in Iran's agriculture, including wheat, sugar cane and fruits. French delegations specifically were interested in investing in Iran's agribusiness," Shahmir said.
Food security is a serious matter for Iran, given the size of its population which has grown over 80 million and seen its food basket grow small.
The remarks came against the backdrop of a new wave of interest in ties with Iran after Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14, 2015 reached a conclusion over the text of a comprehensive 159-page deal on Tehran’s nuclear program and implemented it on January 16.
The comprehensive nuclear deal, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), terminated all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran.
Experts believe that Iran’s economic growth would rise remarkably after the final nuclear deal takes effect.
