Khalilian: Iran Ready To Share Expertize In Uplifting Food Security Standards

Rome, May 19, IRNA – Minister of Agricultural Jihad, Sadegh Khalilian, on Thursday voiced Iran’s preparedness to put its experience at the disposal of regional states for upgrading world and regional food security and living standards. Addressing the 31st FAO Conference for the Near East (NERC), held in Rome from May 14-18, Khalilian said, “To guarantee food security and compensate low function of agricultural products, there is pressing need for development of water and soil to raise performance of areas under cultivation of the irrigation products.” However, he added, that’s a goal being highly difficult to be met regarding the fact that the Near East faces consecutive drought and desertification. The only option on table is raising production in land through cultivation of the products being resistant to water scarcity, he added. Khalilian said genetic sources play a key and important role in production of such plants and sustainable systems for production of agricultural products to counter such challenges. The meeting in its three-day debates focused on such issues as hunger, nutrition, lack of food, agricultural, atmospheric changes, forestry and food security./end