Food Processing Set For Major Boost
Iran Daily

06 April 2010

Managing director of Agricultural Jihad Ministry's Office for Processing and Complementary Industries on Sunday said 25 million tons of agro products would be processed during the Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2010-2015).

"In the fifth plan it is estimated that every year 4.5 million to 5 million tons of agricultural products will be processed. The main focus will be on palm products, fruits and vegetables. No raw material will enter the processing cycle," added Alireza Pourbasir, IRNA reported.

Investments made in processing and complementary industries by the private sector do not comply with the needs of the agro sector, he complained.

"This is why the fifth plan calls for a more modern and effective approach for processing,' he noted.

On expansion of cold storages and warehouses and increasing storage capacity of agro products in the fifth plan he said, "In the plan it is estimated that the capacity for storing agro products should increase to an estimated 20 million tons."

The present standard storage capacity of agro products is about seven million tons and the capacity of traditional warehousing units is twice as much as that of standard units.

Pourbasir emphasized that among the priorities of the Agricultural Jihad Ministry is to rebuild and renovate the existing units in the processing and complementary industries.

In the fifth plan rebuilding 1,300 units for processing and complementary industries has been stipulated.

© Iran Daily 2010

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