Iran seeks practical agricultural projects in Africa
National Iran-Africa agriculture meeting to be held today
Iran is seeking to move beyond promoting its domestic capabilities and develop practical joint agricultural projects with African countries, focusing on local market needs, Iran’s competitive advantages and the participation of African partners, a senior Foreign Ministry official said. Akbar Khosravi-Nejad, director general for African affairs at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, told ISNA that the main goal of a national Iran-Africa agriculture meeting was to develop specific cooperation models that could lead to projects ready for implementation and follow-up. The meeting is being held at Iran’s Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, with the participation of the Agriculture Ministry, the Foreign Ministry’s African affairs department and the permanent secretariat of the Iran-Africa conference at the Trade Promotion Organization. Specialized government agencies, agricultural businesses, knowledge-based companies, research institutions and economic enterprises are expected to attend, Khosravi-Nejad said. He said the meeting aimed to identify and document Iran’s agricultural capabilities and establish direct links among research institutions, knowledge-based companies, agricultural industries and organizations involved in expanding trade with Africa. Proposals are expected to be compiled into a national package of potential capabilities and projects for follow-up under Iran-Africa cooperation programs. Simply expressing readiness to cooperate or presenting domestic capabilities would not be enough, he said. Each proposal must demonstrate its competitive advantage, address a specific market need and show how it could move from an idea to implementation. Agriculture is closely linked to food security, employment, rural livelihoods and the development of local industries in many African countries, Khosravi-Nejad said.
Iran, meanwhile, has capabilities in areas including water and irrigation technologies, agricultural inputs, machinery, food processing, livestock and poultry, aquaculture, and technical and engineering services that could provide a basis for cooperation.
But Africa cannot be treated as a single market, he said, noting differences among countries in climate, infrastructure, regulations, agricultural needs and market conditions. The choice of target countries and cooperation models should therefore be based on market research and an assessment of local needs. He said competitiveness depended not only on technical knowledge and production capacity but also on product quality, production costs, suitability for local conditions, spare-parts availability, after-sales services and access to financing.
Moving beyond exports
Exports could serve as a starting point, but other cooperation models, including assembly, joint production, product processing, local workforce training, technology transfer and after-sales services, could help Iranian companies establish a more sustainable presence in African markets, he said. Cooperation should cover the entire value chain, from agricultural inputs and production to processing, storage, distribution and market access, with the respective roles of Iranian and African partners clearly defined. Khosravi-Nejad said each proposed project should identify its target market, financing requirements, the contribution of African partners and measurable outcomes. Responsibilities, participating organizations, timelines and progress indicators should also be specified.
He said overseas farming could be considered in some African countries, but feasibility studies should go beyond access to land and production potential to examine water and input supplies, local laws, infrastructure, processing, transportation, final markets and the distribution of risks and benefits. The main measure of success, he said, would be tangible results, including implementation contracts, increased production, job creation, local workforce training, technology transfer and sustainable economic partnerships.