COLOMBO: Minister of Primary Industries Daya Gamage said on Wednesday that direct trade between the two countries can be more beneficial for both nations. Minister Gamage made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian Deputy Minister of Agricultural Jihad for Commercial and Agricultural Industries Ali-Akbar Mehr-fard in Tehran, Iran on Wednesday (Nov. 2nd).
In the meeting, Minister Gamage underlined development of cooperation in the field of agriculture & oil and said technology level in Iran is high and Sri Lanka can use the technologies in the fields of agriculture and industries.
He invited officials of Agricultural Jihad to visit Sri Lanka and called for holding joint meeting with Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mine and Agriculture. Minister Gamage advised the Iranian businessmen, who are eager to access markets in India and Bangladesh, to invest in the new market of Sri Lanka.
Iranian Deputy Minister Mehr-fard said that agricultural capabilities of Iran and Sri Lanka are complementary to each other and there are no competitive crops, so by establishment of working groups, joint commissions between public and private sectors of the two countries’ joint projects should be defined. ‘To settle monetary problems and banking issues, the Central Banks of the two countries should find necessary mechanism’ he added.
Mehr-fard further said that Iran produces 117 million tons of agricultural crops worth 76 billion dollars annually and in some products like Pistachio, Saffron, Date, Raisin, Apple and citrus Iran is among top ranking states.
‘Iran is world’s second date producer and the third in raisin’, said Mehr-fard, adding that in dairy industry also Iran has gained good progress and exported 600 million dollars dairy last year. Iran needs 80,000 tons of tea annually, 25,000 tons of which is produced internally, according to the official.
He suggested that the two sides may work on it in a joint venture. Mehr-fard added that processing industries are also suitable ground for bilateral cooperation. According to the statistics published by Iran’s Customs House, Iran exported 15.59541 million dollars to Sri Lanka in the first half of this year and imported 74.564.400 million dollars from the country.
