Rls.140b allocated for completion of Maragheh-Urmia Railway
TEHRAN – Some Rls.140 billion has been allocated for completion of Maragheh-Urmia Railway project, said Mostafa Hashemi who represents Maragheh in the parliament.
The credit was opened by Bank Melli of Iran, Hashemi uttered. The construction project of the 180-kilometer long railway started 4 years ago and is expected to end next year. The completed part of the railway is now used for exchanging goods and passengers between Tehran and Tabriz. Maragheh is located south of Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province. The city has a population of 250,000.
Sistan-Baluchestan produces 105,000 tons of fish annually
TEHRAN – Each year, some 105 thousand tons of fishes are produced in Sistan-Baluchestan Province.
The volume brings some Rls.834 billion for the southeastern province annually. About 41,235 hectares of land can be used as fish farms in the province. Fishery officials of Sistan-Baluchestan have planned to develop the industry there to improve employment and food security. Meanwhile, fish farming can help poverty alleviation process in this severely deprived area. Currently, some 1838 fishing vessels are used in the coastal areas of the province.
Battle against weeds in Khorasan wheat farms
TEHRAN – The battle against weeds was implemented in a vast area of lands in Khorasan Razavi Province.
The operation covered some 146,000 hectares of wheat farms of the northeastern province. This included removal of broad-leaf weeds on 107,000 hectares of lands as well as clearing grasses from 39,000 hectares of wheat farms. The agricultural jihad organization of the province has distributed some 110 tons of pesticides among the farmers this year. The project will cover 200,000 hectares of wheat farms all across the province.
Dramatic surge in farming of oil seeds in Qazvin
TEHRAN – The area covered by oil seeds in Qazvin has increased six-fold this year compared with the last year’s figures.
Colza seeds were sown on some 2900 hectares of land in the mid-northern province in the first month of the current Iranian year (March 21-April 20). These lands are expected to bring about over 6 thousand tons of the oil-rich seed by the end of the year. The agricultural jihad ministry has planned to develop colza farming in the country so as to prove self-sufficiency in ten years.
Iran’s saffron exports hit 172 tons
TEHRAN – Iran’s saffron exports set another rise last year, reaching 172 tons. The volume valued at $94.92 million to corroborate 24% and 42.6% growth in terms of weight and value, respectively.
Once again, Emirates and Spain were the two main customers of Iranian saffron- Emirates bought 78.8 tons at $61.5 million while Spain imported 56.4 tons, valued at $31 million. Saudi Arabia (8.8 tons at $4 million) and Italy (6.2 tons at $3.52 million) were the next two big customers of the precious Iranian saffron. Meanwhile, some $124.89 million worth of industrial and herbal medicines were exported from Iran in the last Iranian year to show 16 percent increase.
Mazandaran exported $4.5m of citrus, kiwi, flora last year
TEHRAN – In the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2005), 12,707 tons of citrus fruits, kiwi and flora, valued at $4.6 million, were exported from Mazandaran Province.
Citrus fruits comprised about 11,000 tons of the volume ($4m), showing 57.1% and 196% growth in terms of weight and value. Kiwi exports hit 804 tons corroborate 70 percent increase. Meanwhile, some 399 tons of flora were exported from Mazandaran in the said period, showing 530% increase.
ER/MA
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MNA