Addressing Iran and the Netherlands’ private sector economic activists, Director General for International Affairs and Specialized Organizations of Ministry of Agriculture Houman Fathi called for increased trade volume and improvement of the trade balance between the two countries.
Fathi noted that agricultural trade volume between Iran and the Netherlands has been high in recent years despite the problems caused by the sanctions; “in the 2014, the total volume of agricultural trade between the two countries reached 900 million dollars,” he reported.
The official expressed hope that the Dutch will gain a better understanding of Iranian products in the shadow of the expansion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries’ private sectors.
He further emphasized the need for the exchange of technology as well as transfer of elements enhancing the productivity of agricultural sectors; “Iran and the Netherlands private sectors can play a major role in improving efficiency by conducting joint investment projects.”
The head of Dutch economic, agricultural and horticultural activists Luke Hermance, for his part, deemed the meeting as a good opportunity to promote agricultural cooperation between Iran and the Netherlands adding “the meeting will discuss the priorities of agricultural cooperation taken into account by participating economic activists.”
Stating that the Netherlands’ agricultural sector have carried out numerous activities in terms of innovation and investment, he noted “the Netherlands is very small in size having 17 million inhabitants but it marks the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the world after the US.”
“The Netherlands welcomes trade of agricultural products and we have always focused on innovation,” he added.
The Iranian private sector activists conducted face to face negotiations with their Dutch counterparts at the meeting expressing willingness towards joint ventures, transfer of seeds and new varieties especially rapeseed, soybean and corn as well as transfer of greenhouse technology.
The Dutch economic activists also expressed readiness to increase productivity in Iran’s agricultural sectors as well as to exchange goods between the two countries.
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