TEHRAN- Iranian Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati named increasing productivity as the main target of his ministry in the new government during the next four years, IRNA quoted him as saying on Sunday.

Highlighting the 8-percent economic growth predicted for the country according to the Sixth Five-Year National Development Plan (2016-2021), the minister put the achieved growth in agriculture sector at 5.3 percent during the past four years.

“With an increase of 21 million tons in production of agricultural products from its previous 97 million tons in Iranian calendar year of 1392 (ended on March 20, 2014) to 118 million tons in 1395 (ended on March 20, 2017), Iran’s food trade balance grew up $5 billion from -$8.1 billion to -$3.09 billion,” Hojjati said.

He elsewhere called for the government to provide domestic agricultural sector with enough facilities as well as making investments in water and soil infrastructure and insurance. 

HJ/MA