Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture announced the establishment of an Iran-China joint rice research center aimed at developing drought-tolerant hybrid rice varieties with yields of more than 6 tons per hectare, as part of broader agricultural cooperation under a 25-year partnership agreement between the two countries.
Gholamreza Golmohammadi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Director of the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), said that despite claims that the food-related sector is exempt from sanctions, most international research institutions, with the exception of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), have withdrawn from Iran since 2018, limiting scientific cooperation and exchange of genetic resources. He added that the scientific partnership, especially with China, continues to progress.
Following reciprocal visits by Iranian and Chinese officials, including visits by the Iranian President and Minister of Agriculture, six young Iranian researchers have been sent to China to receive advanced training in horticulture and seed breeding of oilseeds, wheat, rice, potatoes, rapeseed, and ornamental plants, all of which are funded by the Chinese government.
MNA/TT