Akbar Fathi, Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture, addressed the issues of agricultural fertilizer distribution during the inauguration of the agricultural year 1405-1406 held at the Research Institute for Seed and Seedling Improvement in Karaj, stating that fertilizer smuggling from the official distribution network to other areas continues. He emphasized that merely stating these issues and increasing inspections is not enough, and this problem requires policy reforms.
The Need to Reassess Support for Farmers
Fathi further pointed to the necessity of reassessing the method of supporting farmers, adding: "If support is to be provided to farmers, it can be given in a form separate from the price of fertilizer and directly to the farmers themselves." He stated that as long as the price of fertilizer does not approach reality, there will be an incentive to exploit price differences and smuggle it to unofficial routes. Therefore, reforming the policy-making mechanism in this area is of special importance.
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The Role of Education in Fertilizer Consumption
Fathi emphasized the role of education and promotion in improving fertilizer consumption, stating: "Experts and responsible organizations must explain to farmers how fertilizer consumption affects their production levels, production costs, and income." He noted that farmers need to understand how proper fertilizer use impacts crop performance and ultimately their income.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture also emphasized that changes in policies must be accompanied by the cooperation of related organizations and executive actions, stating: "Any reform may have consequences, and it is our duty to manage these consequences using available tools and to prevent potential problems in agricultural production."
Accurate Recording of Cultivated Area
Akbar Fathi stressed the necessity of accurately recording agricultural activity information in relevant systems, emphasizing that the area under cultivation is one of the indicators for determining agricultural fuel quotas. He added: "Field experts and management centers of the Ministry of Agriculture must correctly record information related to actual activities on agricultural lands."
He continued: "The determination of the fuel needed for the agricultural sector is based on indicators such as the area under cultivation, and the accurate recording of information related to this indicator must reflect field realities and the activities conducted on agricultural lands."
Fathi concluded by noting that if agricultural operations are being conducted on a piece of land and agricultural machinery is active there, this information must be recorded in the relevant systems without fear and based on reality. He emphasized that failing to record actual activities limits the ability to make accurate decisions regarding fuel supply.
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