Akbar Fathi stated on Wednesday evening during a meeting with livestock and poultry activists in Maragheh that actions have been taken to secure working capital for production units, noting that securing working capital for poultry farms has been one of the pursued issues, and the increase in bank capital to provide the necessary resources for this sector has been anticipated in the resolutions.
Ministry of Agriculture's Pursuit to Support Producers
Fathi added that part of the resolutions related to supporting livestock and poultry units was drafted before the onset of the war, but the created conditions affected the implementation of some resolutions. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Agriculture continued its follow-ups and sought to utilize the capacity of modern financing methods and credit facilities to support producers.
Read more: CEO of Qom Industrial Towns Company: Motor Technology Enhancing Competitiveness of Small Industries
The Deputy for Planning and Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture continued: A total of 270 trillion rials in financial resources have been attracted from bonds and credit methods to support the country's livestock and poultry units, with East Azerbaijan's share being 2.5 trillion rials.
Energy Supply and Water Challenges in Agriculture
Fathi also referred to the government's policy regarding the pricing of agricultural products, stating that the Ministry of Agriculture has pursued the issue of avoiding price suppression as an approach to support producers, and this issue has received cooperation despite some resistance.
He considered the energy supply for livestock and poultry units as another important issue in this sector and stated that energy imbalance existed even before the war began, and the wartime conditions exacerbated this situation; therefore, the issue of energy supply for poultry farms was discussed in the Supreme Energy Council.
The Deputy for Planning and Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture added: Based on the decision made, 70% of the gas required for poultry farms will be supplied, and the remaining 30% will be provided in liquid fuel form at a price equivalent to the consumed gas.
Fathi continued: This decision was made following the follow-ups conducted and the Minister of Agriculture's defense of the necessity of providing the energy required for production units in the Supreme Energy Council.
He identified the limitation of water resources as another challenge in the agricultural sector and stated: Despite water limitations, efforts are being made to eliminate the obstacles in the way of providing the necessary water for agricultural investors.
The Deputy for Planning and Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture also announced the approval for the establishment of a regional fund to support investment in agriculture in South East Azerbaijan and stated: Despite legal limitations for the development of funds, the establishment of a regional fund to support investment in agriculture in the southern province has been approved by consolidating three funds.
Fathi said: It is possible to secure the government's share in this fund from surplus assets, and this capacity can be used for further support of investment and development in the agricultural sector.
Read more: Call from the Free Zone Organization of Kish to Convert Vehicle Plates to National · Maragheh Shepherd Dies Due to Lightning Strike
