TEHRAN — The fourth grape festival of Iran kicked off in the city of Urmia, northwestern province of West Azarbaijan, on Tuesday evening, Nasimonline news agency reported.

The event which is being held in a coastal village adjacent to Lake Urmia is coordinated in association with Urmia municipality in an attempt to support the framers, gardeners, Lake Urmia’s restoration program, and register Urmia as a national city of grape.

“We want to support farmers by encouraging grape export,” Urmia mayor Mohammad Hazratpour said, mentioning the 286,000 tons of grape production in the region. 

Festivals of this kind would promote economic boom, Hazratpour noted.

He further called on banks and the private sector to provide farmers with financial support to help the grape industry and all other related industries grow both in Urmia and the whole country.

MQ/MG