Damavand Apples: An Investment That Must Be Supported from Orchard to Market

Damavand – With its extensive orchards and long history of fruit growing, Damavand is one of the key apple-producing centers in Tehran Province.

Arjan Ambassador of the Provinces Group - Amirmahan Mohammadi Yekta: Damavand is one of the important centers of apple production in Tehran province, with extensive gardens and a long history of horticulture. According to officials, by increasing the performance of gardens and developing sales markets, it can contribute more to the agricultural economy of the country.

Damavand, with an annual production of about 250 thousand tons of apples, according to the statistics provided in the preliminary information of this report, ranks first in the production of this product in Tehran province. This position highlights the economic importance of horticulture in the city and the need to pay attention to the needs of producers; Especially since the future of this sector is not only dependent on the amount of harvested product and access to water and electricity, supply of inputs, storage and packaging facilities and sale of products at a reasonable price also play a role in the income of gardeners.

The head of the Jihad Agricultural Organization of Tehran province, in a conversation with Mehr reporter, referring to the increase in the production of agricultural products and the need to strengthen the export market in Tehran province, said: the volume of apple production in Tehran province has increased this year.

Also referring to the difficult conditions of the past year and the impact of war, sanctions and various restrictions on economic activities, Jabraeil Braradi said: Despite these conditions, the agricultural sector of Tehran province has not only faced a decrease in production, but also experienced an increase in production based on official statistics.

According to him, electricity shortage is one of the serious problems of Damavand farmers.

Bradri said: About 100 hectares of land has been allocated to help supply the electricity needed by the agricultural sector in the region, and measures related to the implementation of this plan are being followed.

He considered increasing productivity as one of the ways to reduce production costs and pointed out that gardeners and responsible institutions should increase production per unit area by using knowledge, technology and new methods in order to reduce the cost of products and make agricultural activity more economical.

He said: the average yield of Damavand apple orchards this year has reached 181 tons per hectare; While this figure was 147 tons last year.

According to him, the average apple yield in Tehran province is 39 tons and the national average is 17 tons per hectare. Bradri also announced that Damavand ranks second in the country in terms of performance per unit area and fourth in terms of total production.

Bradri also addressed the dissatisfaction of some producers with the increase in the price of inputs and said: the amendment of the preferential exchange rate was a valuable measure by the government.

According to him, by removing the mandated prices, the manufacturer can better understand the final price and decide to compete in the domestic and global markets.

At the same time, he admitted that the price of inputs has increased after the liberalization, but said that measures have been taken to ensure producers' liquidity.

The head of the Agricultural Jihad organization of Tehran province explained that in the meetings with the bank Amal, the supply of the input has been foreseen in the form of credit; In such a way that the place of production is accepted as collateral, the credit limit is determined based on eligibility and requests are reviewed and approved in the system within one day.

According to him, the producer has six months to sell his product and his credit is recharged.

maintaining gardens; The necessity of agricultural development in Damavand

Ismail Heydari-Azad, governor of Damavand, also emphasized the need to protect agricultural lands and told Mehr reporter: Gardens in this city should be preserved before they turn into unauthorized constructions and villas.

Referring to the agricultural history of Damavand, he said: This city has been a region relying on horticulture and animal husbandry since the past, and it is considered one of the important regions of Tehran province in this field.

According to the governor of Damavand, apples and walnuts are the flagship products of this city, and the protection of gardens is necessary for the continuation of this capacity.

Heydari Azad expressed his hope that the apple festival will be the beginning to solve the problems of the agriculture and horticulture sector, especially in the field of supplying agricultural water and required inputs, and asked the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture to take a professional and special look at horticulture and agriculture in Damavand.

Governor Damavand also emphasized the necessity of preserving traditional horticulture and considered it one of the country's prides. The capacity, according to him, should be maintained along with the use of new production methods and productivity improvement.

The horticulture capacity of Damavand can lead to a more stable income for producers when the increase in production is accompanied by the development of storage, packaging and sales infrastructure. Establishing an export terminal, developing cold stores and setting up processing industries can help reduce sales pressure in the harvest season and provide the possibility of product supply at a more appropriate time.

On the other hand, registering the geographical indication of Damavand apple can help protect the commercial identity of this product and distinguish it from the products of other regions; An issue that, if followed by experts and provided with legal requirements, will have the capacity to strengthen marketing and export.

In addition to these cases, stable supply of water and electricity, access to appropriate inputs and facilities, and prevention of changing the use of gardens are among the prerequisites for maintaining production in this city.

Damavand apple is not only an agricultural product, but also a part of the production and economic identity of this city. Preservation of this capital requires the support of gardeners who continue production with their knowledge, experience and effort, and to continue their activities, they need infrastructure, a reliable market and the effective support of responsible institutions.