Iranian agricultural products, after being exported to several regional countries, were returned to Iran. According to activists and experts in this field, the reason for the return of these products was the presence of remaining pesticides and heavy metals. The consequences of this return have affected both domestic farmers and exporters, which could lead to a lack of trust in Iranian agricultural products in the region. Another issue is the warning about consuming agricultural products within the country. At the same time as the news of the return of agricultural products, efforts were made by some officials and state news agencies to deny and justify the issue, but there were also reactions within the country. For example, Pedram Soltani, former vice president of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, wrote on his Twitter page: “Other countries are returning Iranian agricultural products. They are protecting the health of their citizens. 85 million Iranians are aware, thanks to foreign warnings, that they are being exposed to toxins every day. People are dying or becoming sick and

With the increase in population, efforts were made to increase the productivity of agricultural lands using pesticides, fertilizers, genetic modification, and so on. Initially, natural pesticides and fertilizers were used, but with the increase in population, they were no longer effective and farmers turned to using chemical pesticides and fertilizers. The use of pesticides in different countries is accompanied by strict standards and regulations. Agricultural products in each country must be regularly monitored for domestic consumption to ensure the safety of consumers, and when exporting agricultural products, they are usually inspected in the destination country to prevent the entry of products that do not meet their standards.

The presence of toxins and heavy metals in exported agricultural products has been officially confirmed in a letter from Masoud Basiri, the head of the Export Development Office. In the letter, Basiri states: “Due to the high levels of toxins and presence of heavy metals in exported agricultural shipments, they have been returned to Iran.” He also addresses exporters, stating: “From now on, in addition to health certificates, obtaining a health certificate from the Food and Drug Administration is mandatory for the export of all agricultural products, and instructions have been given to inform all traders and exporters in this letter.” With this confirmation and assuming that testing and monitoring will now be mandatory for exported products, the main issue is no longer the lack of testing and supervision for consumable agricultural products within the country.

Despite its importance, the issue of remaining poisons has not been discussed much. Considering the connection between the consumption of poisons and the health of citizens and the environment, we will further address it in the following article. Poisons used in agriculture against pests are used. Some of these poisons remain in plants, soil, air, and food. If exceeded, they can be dangerous for people’s health. Remaining poisons in agricultural products can cause side effects such as heart problems, blood circulation disorders, digestive problems, osteoporosis, genetic disorders, low birth weight, increased miscarriages, and even cancer. This requires high supervision and standards for the use of these poisons. Poisons are classified into three categories: highly hazardous, moderately hazardous, and low hazardous. According to Mehdi Hosseini, the head of the Association of Importers of Poisons and Fertilizers, 20% of poisons are “highly hazardous”. Statistics on the consumption of poisons and

The return of agricultural products, accompanied by a sharp drop in prices, has caused damage to exporters and farmers. One of the returned agricultural products is bell peppers, which have been returned from Russia due to the presence of four pesticides. Considering that about thirteen percent of Russia’s bell peppers were supplied from Iran, the impact of the return of bell peppers was such that its price dropped from seventy thousand tomans to nearly fifty thousand tomans. This is while the cost of one kilogram of bell peppers for farmers is approximately fifteen thousand tomans. Mehdi Hosseini, the head of the Association of Importers of Pesticides and Fertilizers, said about the return of agricultural products: “The failure of relevant organizations to properly manage the country’s exports has caused serious damage. Therefore, in recent years, we have seen the return of raisins, watermelons, potatoes, bell peppers, and saffron.” The problem of exporting Iranian bell peppers is not limited to exports to

With.

Fayegh Khadri.

“We had a conversation with a PhD student in agricultural botany (agroecology) and asked him about the use of pesticides in agricultural products in Iran.”

Khodaverdi told “Peace Line”: “The highest amount of pesticide imports come from countries like India and China. In the Iranian market, there are joint companies, including the Swiss company “Syngenta”, that produce pesticides domestically. Although these pesticides are not organic and are considered chemical, in my opinion, they have better quality compared to other pesticides. We also have legal and illegal companies within the country that produce pesticides and control the market. We even have smuggling of pesticides into the country, where they are packaged and sold in the market. The pesticide mafia also controls the market, and for example, a few years ago, a university professor in Urmia was successful in producing some organic pesticides, but did not receive a license and later sold the formula to a company in Turkey. Regarding the control of agricultural products before entering the domestic market, it must be said that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health do not have any control over products before they enter the market, and

Also, from.

Nader Ghadari.

I am a graduate in natural resources with nearly fifteen years of experience in agriculture. In this regard, we asked if farmers who produce pesticides are given any training.

Qadari said to “Peace Line”: “In centers where pesticides are distributed, the sellers are often people who have the least knowledge about agriculture and there is usually no expert present to guide and advise farmers when they visit. They do not explain to the farmer what the purpose of the pesticide is and what concentrations should be used. Even if the pesticides are of standard quality and used in appropriate concentrations, they must be used at the right time and stage of crop growth and be introduced to the market after a specified period of time, which may vary between the pesticide and the crop.”

It can be said that the remaining pesticides in agricultural products have not received attention from relevant authorities until now, despite its importance. In the meantime, farmers, who are seeking higher yields and lower costs, use pesticides without supervision and sell their products in the market. This practice will not be corrected without the intervention of responsible agencies, and if it continues, it will have a negative impact on the export of agricultural products. More importantly, it will lead to an increase in diseases caused by the consumption of these pesticides among citizens.

Notes:

1- “Birds of Prey, Parvin, and colleagues, a review of the effects of residual pesticides on environmental and human health, the first specialized national conference on agricultural and environmental sciences in Iran, 1394.”

2- Farhoudi, Shiva, and colleagues, residue of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture and their role in creating a cancer tsunami, the third National Conference on Medicinal Plants and Sustainable Agriculture, May 2015.

3- The strange reason for the return of products to the country, Imena, 7 Dey month 1400.

4- Confirmation of high toxins in agricultural exports became mandatory health certificate, Asr-e Iran, 16 Dey month 1400.

5- How much were the returned black pepper flakes from Russia sold for in Iran?, World Economy, 7th of Dey month, 1400.

6- The Republic of Azerbaijan has destroyed shipments of contaminated Iranian peppers with the “dangerous virus”, Radio Farda, January 15, 2022.