South Khorasan Surpasses Target in Red Meat Production Increase

Birjand – The head of the South Khorasan Jihad-e Agriculture Organization announced an increase of 985 tons in red meat production in the province, saying that greenhouse development, modern irrigation and conservation agriculture are among the main programs for this sector.

According to Mehr reporter, Mohsen Esfandiari said on Tuesday afternoon at the headquarters of the realization of the slogan of the year in the implementation of the approved programs of the agricultural sector in the first six months of 1405: the development of red meat production, the expansion of modern irrigation systems, the revival of canals, the development of greenhouses, training and transfer of knowledge to farmers, the implementation of conservation agriculture and the processing and packaging of the province's advantageous products are among the most important axes of these programs.

Referring to the target of increasing 2 thousand tons of red meat production this year, he added: In this sector, 985 tons of increase in production has been achieved so far and a total of 468 billion Tomans have been spent out of the projected investment of 600 billion Tomans.

The head of South Khorasan Agricultural Jihad organization said: last year, more than 20 billion tomans of facilities with a 12% interest rate were provided to support the livestock farmers of the province, and this year, with the follow-up, new resources have been allocated to increase the production of red meat.

Esfandiari considered preventing the sale of livestock at a young age and strengthening breeding programs and improving herds as solutions to increase production and productivity in this sector.

He further mentioned the development program of modern irrigation systems and said: The province's goal in this sector was to implement 2 thousand hectares, of which 1,33 hectares have been implemented so far.

The head of the South Khorasan Agricultural Jihad Organization stated that 52 billion Tomans have been spent in this sector so far, adding: the reduction of the anticipated resources and the increase in the cost of equipment, pipes and the implementation of pressurized systems have challenged the progress of the projects.

Referring to the importance of reviving canals and managing water resources, Esfandiari said: the increase in the cost of reviving canals from the initial estimates to around 40 to 45 million Tomans per hectare has made the implementation of these plans difficult.

He also emphasized the necessity of conservation agriculture development in South Khorasan and said: Considering the climatic conditions of the province, the reduction of soil organic matter and the risk of land salinization, the implementation of methods such as direct cultivation, preservation of plant residues, and modification of tillage operations are necessary for sustainable production.

The head of South Khorasan Agricultural Jihad Organization continued: In this year's program, the implementation of conservation agriculture at the level of 10,000 hectares is predicted, of which 1,640 hectares have been realized so far. A significant part of the implementation of this plan will be done in the second half of the year, and we expect the performance of this department to improve by the end of the year.

Referring to the greenhouse development program in the province, Esfandiari said: the increase in greenhouse construction costs has made it difficult to implement the planned plans; However, South Khorasan has reached the 8th and 9th ranks from the 20th rank of the country in this field.

He mentioned the development of tilapia fish farming among other programs of the agricultural sector of the province and said: South Khorasan has significant capacities in this field and follow-ups have been done to develop activities in compliance with the regulations related to the environment and fisheries.

The head of South Khorasan Agricultural Jihad Organization also informed about the extensive activity of leech breeding in the province and added: South Khorasan ranks first in the country in this field and its products are sent to different provinces.

Emphasizing the necessity of completing the value chain of agricultural products of the province, Esfandiari said: Processing and packaging of barberry, saffron and other advantageous products should be given more attention than in the past so that instead of supplying products in raw form, the field for the production of medicinal products, special drinks and products with added value will be provided.

Referring to the targeting of investment in the field of processing and packaging of agricultural products, he said: For the development of this sector, a significant investment has been predicted, but the limitation of facilities and the increase in costs have affected the implementation of the plans.

In the end, the head of the South Khorasan Agricultural Jihad Organization emphasized the need to coordinate the national and provincial funds with the approved programs of the agricultural sector and called for more support to complete the plans and achieve the quantitative goals set this year.