News in Brief
Tehran’s membership to boost BRICS capacities: Deputy FM
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Coordination on Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari said that Iran’s membership in BRICS, which is a bloc of emerging economies, can significantly boost capacities of the organization in the fields of transit, energy, oil, gas and modern technologies.
In a recent interview with the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Safari said that BRICS is becoming a market half the size of the world.
He said the bloc now includes the biggest producers and consumers of oil and gas in the world, adding that it will play an important role in the global energy market.
He also referred to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which Iran joined in 2023, as a regional market that can create a win-win situation for all member countries.
Both BRICS and SCO have proposed that Iran take over a leadership role in some of their committees, the Iranian diplomat said.
The bloc was originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined the organization on January 1, 2024.
Ministry bolstering supports for cotton growers
Chief contractor for Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture’s Cotton Project Ebrahim Hezarjaribi said that efforts are underway to reach self-sufficiency in the production of cotton through increased support for farmers.
According to the ministry’s official website, Hezarjaribi said that supportive programs for cotton cultivators is being implemented in Iran, including the use of micro-irrigation systems, no-till farming, low-interest loans for harvester purchases, and encouraging the use of high-yielding varieties of cotton.
He said that in more than 70% of countries in the world, subsidies are given to cotton farmers so that they can benefit from the added value of the crop.
The official noted that the average cotton yield in Iran has reached above 3,000 kg/hectare.
Hezarjaribi added that cotton production in Iran doubled over five years of the country’s Sixth National Development Plan, which ended two years ago, adding that raw cotton production increased from 150,000 metric tons (mt) to more than 300,000 mt.