Iranian Knowledge-based firms active in agriculture playing critical role: Official

An Iranian agriculture official says some five percent of all knowledge-based companies operating in Iran are active in the agriculture sector and have a critical role to play.

Abdollah Mokhber Dezfooli, deputy for planning and finance at the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), said on Tuesday that the agriculture sector was lagging behind in terms of access to and employment of advanced technologies and its output was thus very low.
Mokhber Dezfooli said to compensate for that shortage, AREEO had launched the largest Science and Technology Park specializing in agriculture in Alborz Province, near Tehran, and had subsequently established four innovation farms in Iran.
Also, two centers to develop agriculture were launched in the current year, according to the AREEO official.
He said such events not only helped showcase knowledge but also linked businesses and start-ups active in the field.