A member of the Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Committee of the Islamic Consultative Assembly stated that “the tears of farmers have come” and said “potatoes have remained on the hands of farmers in Golestan province. A month ago, it was also left on the hands of Ardabil farmers. The total price for the farmer is less than the cost of planting.” He is Rahmatollah Norouzi, the representative of the people of Aliabad Katul from Golestan province in the eleventh session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and a member of the Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Committee of this assembly.

This representative of the parliament, in response to the monthly magazine “Khat-e-Solh” which asks why we are facing a decrease in agriculture and number of farmers in Iran in recent decades, mentioned “reliance on oil” as one of the problems in this field in Iran and said: “We have not done any processing industry. We have not processed it. The pistachio market that we had was not present anywhere in the world. We have the best, highest quality pistachios. But our pistachios are packaged and exported. We have the facilities and the potential for agricultural production.”

You can read the detailed discussion of the peace agreement with this member of the Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Commission of the Parliament below:

In this session, we will witness the drafting and approval of the Seventh Development Plan. Have discussions related to this development plan started in the Agriculture Commission and have any decisions been made regarding this plan?

First of all, I would like to mention that in the 1400 budget reconciliation commission, special attention has been paid to the agriculture sector. Very good credits have been allocated with the support of the reconciliation commission and the assembly of representatives. In the discussion of credits, good credits have also been seen from the targeted subsidies and clause 14. In the discussion of the seventh development plan, the commission’s opinion is that we can sit down with specialized institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Organization, which are related to the agriculture sector, and consult with professors and experts. Then, with regard to the emphasis of the Imam and the leader on the independence of agriculture and support for production, it can be seen as a fundamental step in the seventh development plan. We want to see growth in production, economic growth, and business growth. We want sustainable and productive employment. We have great potential and capabilities in the agriculture sector.

Pistachios, saffron, caviar, and medicinal plants are our specialties. They are grown in our greenhouses. Look, now our greenhouses have taken over the Russian market. If we want to enter, we have a high potential. In the seventh development plan, a comprehensive agricultural document must be formulated, both at the provincial and national levels. Our agriculture must become modern and mechanized. In addition, we must create conditions for our agriculture to be updated and knowledge-based. We are taking fundamental actions with this approach to bring about transformation in agriculture. Transformation in agriculture requires fundamental action. I hope this work is done diligently in the commission so that we can capture the markets of our neighboring countries. We can capture Eurasia. We can capture the markets of Afghanistan, Turkey, and Pakistan. We can obtain their markets. Food security is now the most important concern for countries, and Iran has this high capacity. This requires fundamental action.

You mentioned saffron and caviar from Iran. So why hasn’t anything been done yet? In recent decades, we have faced a decrease in agriculture and the number of farmers in Iran.

Our economy has been dependent on oil and our leadership has always believed that we should move away from an oil-based economy and strengthen agriculture. Let’s discuss the issue of taxes and other areas. Let’s implement Article 44. We were unaware. Now many countries have produced saffron from our hands and we have not been able to compete. Our rice is the best in the world. Dam Siah and Hashemi. Even our Fajr rice is better than Pakistani, Indian and other countries’ rice. We have the best and highest quality products.

We did not make any changes. We did not process it. The serious intention that I expressed is in this section. The pistachio market that we had had no place in the world. We have the best, highest quality pistachios. But our pistachios are packaged and exported. We have the facilities and agricultural production opportunities.

We have the same problem in the citrus industry. Citrus produced in Iran is exported and sometimes low-quality citrus, which has also incurred currency costs, is imported and given to people. Why does this happen?

In the ninth session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, I announced my vote of confidence in Mr. Hojjati, the Minister of Agriculture. We must truly consider the model cultivation policy. You say it’s everywhere. Now potatoes are left in the hands of farmers in Golestan province. A month ago, it was also left in the hands of farmers in Ardabil. The price has been set lower than the cost of cultivation for the farmer. The tears of the farmers have come.

A few days ago, I spoke on the phone with the Deputy President. I talked to Mr. Razm Hosseini, the Minister of Industry, Mining, and Trade. I also spoke with the Minister of Agriculture Jihad. Unfortunately, this is what you are saying. We must be able to support. We have a constitution. If you look at the constitution of the Rural Cooperative Company, from production to consumption, the legislator has fully considered these issues. When? In the 1940s and 1950s.

Well, if there is a constitution, why isn’t it being implemented?

We must see where the knots of work are.

Is it not the responsibility of the parliament to oversee in any case?

I have mentioned that the legislator must see where the knot is. The parliament must enter. I have said many times that the rural cooperative is not just a facility for the farmer. They must come and truly fulfill their duty according to the law.

Jalal Mahmoudzadeh, the Vice President of the Agricultural Commission and your colleague, spoke with Tasnim in April 2021 about drafting laws to support production in the agricultural sector. Considering that you mentioned the parliament should intervene, what laws have been passed or are being approved to support production in this sector?

“We have had eleven thousand and three hundred legal titles from 1284 until now. We have a lot of laws. We need to revise the laws now. We need to criticize and monitor the laws. The Strategic Council for the Revision of Laws, which was previously in the government and is now in the parliament, should seriously enter the field. We need to remove interfering laws. If it is necessary to amend the laws, it should be done not just as a slogan but in action. As you mentioned, Mr. Mahmoudzadeh said that we have a lot of laws in the field of production. We have a lot of laws in the field of exports. We need to remove obstacles and barriers.”

Has the parliament started to remove these obstacles?

A group of university graduates and representatives of different periods of the parliament have started a strategic council to revise laws. Currently, this work is being done in various areas such as agriculture, water, environment, and natural resources. If these actions are followed and supported strongly, they will have positive effects.

You mentioned the issue of water. In the past three decades, serious criticisms have been made about dam construction in Iran. The problem is that these dam constructions have had a negative impact on agriculture in Iran. Do you agree with this issue? If yes, what should be done? What can the parliament do?

Water is a very important issue not only for us and the Middle East, but for the whole world. In recent years, we have experienced a decrease in precipitation. Just this year, we had a 40% decrease in precipitation in the whole country. We are facing problems in this area. Foundational measures must be taken in the seventh development plan. We have a problem with water stress. Necessary funds must be allocated and this issue must be addressed. We have problems with pressurized irrigation, drip irrigation, efficiency, and optimal use of water. I myself am from a village and come from a farming family. We have a lot of water waste. The waste of water from the well to the surface is very high. Another issue is the excessive drilling of wells without considering boundaries. We must take action in this regard. The Water Research Institute of the Ministry of Energy must enter the scene honestly. We cannot simply say that we want to transfer water from the Caspian Sea or the

We must follow the paths that the world has taken. The world has recycled drinking water from sewage. Work has been done on this issue in the world. Because the important issue and fundamental concern for our future is the water issue. We must have short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans to control surface water. We must prioritize agriculture, as our food security is at stake. The waste of our drinking water is very important. The media, education, and cultural institutions must work hard. It is a matter of culture-building. Our Quranic and religious perspective has not been promoted and explained on this issue. Our water waste is very high.

Most of our water is wasted in the drinking and agriculture sector.

In the field of agriculture, we also face low efficiency. How should this issue be managed?

I previously mentioned that our productivity in water is very low. I say this as a native of a village and a farmer.

What actions have been taken by the parliament in this regard?

For example, in Khuzestan and Golestan, with the leadership agreement, the cost of drainage has been paid from the National Development Fund. Such actions should be strengthened. Out of 285,000 hectares, 35,000 hectares have been drained in Golestan province so far. This work should be strengthened and more funds should be allocated to it.

Does it mean credit and budget problems?

Yes. Do you know how effective irrigation is? Do you know how much it prevents water waste? Do you know how impactful strengthening greenhouse credits is? I have been to India, Indonesia, and Chile. Those countries have taken good steps in the greenhouse sector. We should also take steps in this regard.

In the discussion of the environment and considering the issue of environmental justice, the issue of agricultural fertilizers and their harm to the land is raised. What action has the parliament taken in this regard? The issue of land and its pollution is also brought up.

Water and land are our fundamental issues. The environmental protection organization must enter this area very carefully and take care so that we do not harm this region. The environmental protection organization must maintain its role of authority and be able to act based on current knowledge. We have good experts in this field and we can use their abilities. The Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources has a history of nearly seventy years. There are professors and experts with a wealth of knowledge and experience there. There are also professors and experts in other provinces of the country in this field. Environmental professors must come and present their solutions. What can be done to strengthen the land? How can the parliament help in the legislation field? What can the parliament do in terms of supervision? This requires fundamental actions to be taken. The environment must also prepare itself to explain its views, goals, and plans in the seventh development plan and present them to the parliament. The research center of the parliament must also enter seriously. We must have

Are people waiting for the items you mentioned to be included in the 1401 budget and the Seventh Development Plan?

I have been in the ninth parliament. I am also in this parliament. The members of the eleventh parliament’s agriculture committee have taken the issue seriously. I have seen their determination. God willing, we can take fundamental actions.

There is also a fundamental problem in the field of pricing. There is a significant gap between the price of agricultural production and the market price. Surely, there are some hands involved in this. What has the parliament done in this regard and what can it do?

In this issue, we have a missing link between the producer and the consumer. The issue of production is seen by the legislator in the articles of rural cooperatives. In Tehran, we have fruit and vegetable markets. The legislator saw this before the revolution. After the revolution, it has also been strengthened. It also exists in the field of rural cooperatives. This must become stronger. Instead of benefiting from middlemen and monopolists, the farmer must be strengthened. The consumer must benefit. Profits must go to the pockets of the farmer, gardener, and producer.

In the field of livestock and animal products, this issue is also raised.

Of course, in the past two years we have experienced fluctuations in prices. Now we are also concerned about it. Last year I spoke to the Deputy of Livestock Affairs, Mr. Minister of Agriculture. Look at the price of bran and straw now. The price of each bundle of straw has faced a tremendous jump. It is not cost-effective to buy a bundle of straw for forty thousand tomans. The price of bran has increased more than wheat. The price of barley has also increased more than wheat. It is not cost-effective for the people at all. We used to have livestock in the forest. One of our colleagues’ mistakes was the plan to remove livestock from the forest. This shepherd was a protector of natural resources and the environment. He did not destroy the forest. We caused damage to the rural economy with this action. Now they want to feed barley and sugar beets to livestock. All of these have high costs and are not cost-effective. The livestock owners come and

Thank you for the time you have given to the peace line.