Agriculture in Lorestan:
Agriculture in Lorestan:
Before writing about agriculture in Lorestan, we will first provide a general explanation of the world's conventional agriculture.
Subsistence Agriculture:
It is a sustainable agriculture in which the farmer (or consumer) cultivates food products to meet their own and their family's needs. In subsistence agriculture, production is aimed at survival and is mostly related to local needs with/or minimal trade of surplus. A typical subsistence farm can include a wide range of agricultural and animal products needed by the family for nutrition and clothing throughout the year.
Industrial Agriculture:
A form of modern agriculture that refers to the industrial production of industrial agricultural and livestock and animal products such as eggs or milk. Industrial agriculture methods include innovation in agricultural machinery and agricultural methods, genetic technology, techniques for achieving economies of scale in production, creating new markets for consumption, applying patent protection for genetic information, and global trade. These methods have become prevalent in developed countries and are increasingly prevalent around the world. Now most meat, dairy products, eggs, fruits, and vegetables available in supermarkets are produced using these industrial agricultural methods.
Sustainable Agriculture:
It refers to sustainable methods that are intended to meet the current food and textile needs of society, without endangering the ability of current or future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable agriculture can be considered agriculture using the principles of ecology and studying the relationships between living organisms and their environment. In sustainable agriculture, the following points are considered:
Organic Agriculture:
Natural agriculture or biological agriculture (in English: Organic agriculture) is a type of agriculture in which chemical fertilizers, poisons, hormones, and modifications and manipulations of genetics are not used in the production and processing of its products, and all stages of soil enrichment, planting, and harvesting are done using natural inputs (such as biofertilizers, composts, beneficial insects, effective microorganisms or EM). Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soil, ecosystems, and humans.
Precision Agriculture:
Today, technological advancements and the use of new methods and various tools such as GPS, sensors, remote sensing, or aerial photographs have led to the creation of a new concept called precision agriculture or appropriate input management. Various information such as soil characteristics, bed needs, pests, diseases, etc. is collected and evaluated by geographic information management technology to perform precise calculations and management activities in a small farm unit. This increases the care and precise management of the factors needed by the plant in the agricultural land.
Cultivation of Genetically Modified Plants:
A transgenic plant is a plant that has received one or more limited genes from species other than the genetic reservoir of that plant through modern molecular genetics and genetic engineering. The aim of this is to improve the plant's resistance to some pests or plant diseases (biotic stresses), increase tolerance to abiotic stresses such as salinity and water scarcity, improve product quality and marketability, increase plant production and yield, increase productivity in agriculture, and ultimately, increase the level of community health by reducing the consumption of various pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Lorestan Agricultural Resources
[Lorestan province, with its suitable climate, rich pastures, abundant rivers, and fertile soil, has a special aptitude for animal husbandry and agriculture, which is why animal husbandry and agriculture form the main basis of the people's economy in this province.
The presence of vast and extensive plains such as the Sila-Khor plain, the plains of Kuhdasht and Romeshkan, the Azna, and Aligudarz plains, as well as benefiting from a suitable average rainfall with good distribution, the absence of serious limitations such as salinity and alkalinity, the high average of suitable organic matter, and the diversity and vastness of soil types, the relatively acceptable skill of farmers, the presence of more than five thousand graduates of technicians, experts, and specialized doctorates in agricultural fields, the presence of researchers along with remarkable and acceptable research and technical achievements in the country and the province along with global and national performances, all of which are a convincing argument and reason that Lorestan province, with its scientific, natural, technical, and human backing, is an agricultural province.
Lorestan province, with its climatic diversity, is cold in the north and semi-tropical in the south, with abundant water and fertile soil, has the potential for producing various agricultural products.
Despite the existing problems and shortcomings in the agricultural sector, the quality of the soil and climatic conditions have led to the production of more than two million tons of various agricultural products in this province annually and offered to the consumer markets.
"Wheat, barley, corn, sugar beet, canola, rice, various legumes, vegetables and vegetables, soybeans, forage plants, apricot, apple, plum, cherry, peach, pomegranate, nectarine, fig, walnut, and almond" are the main crops and garden products of Lorestan province.
The area of greenhouses in Lorestan has reached more than 112 hectares in 1403, and this province has the capacity to produce greenhouse products at a rate of 20 thousand tons of products per year.
Lorestan ranks first in the country in the production of legumes with an annual production of more than 140 thousand tons, and a major part of the province's production is offered to domestic and foreign markets annually.
Lorestan province is not only the production hub of legumes in the country and the production of cold water fish among the non-coastal provinces; but also, due to its climatic diversity and favorable water and soil potentials, it holds the first place in the production of black figs and is among the top ten provinces in the country in the field of pomegranate production.
Currently, Lorestan, with an annual production of more than 210 thousand tons of barley, is the third largest producer of this product in the country, so that a major part of the needs of livestock farmers in the western regions of the country is met in this province.
Lorestan and Water Resources
12.5 billion cubic meters, equivalent to 12% of the country's flowing water, is in this province, in such a way that it is considered one of the richest surface water networks.
Lorestan has more than 130 permanent and seasonal rivers with a length of about 9,000 kilometers in the Karun and Karkheh basins, and about eight billion cubic meters of runoff inside and 4.5 billion cubic meters of runoff entering the province.
About 102 springs and about one thousand and 663 qanats, as well as about 7600 wells, a total of about one billion cubic meters of water is extracted from the lands of Lorestan and used. Which is a significant number.
25% of the surface water of Zagros flows from our province, which, considering the topography we have, we face floods in wet years and a severe shortage of water resources in drought years, which is one of the basic challenges of the province.
Lorestan Medicinal Plants
The climate of Lorestan is one of the most suitable regions in the country for cultivating medicinal plants, and attention to the cultivation of medicinal and greenhouse plants, in addition to improving business, also leads to the development and economic prosperity of the province.
The existence of one thousand and 700 plant species in the heights of Lorestan province has made this province one of the genetic reserves for the cultivation of various medicinal plants in Iran. Of this amount, 300 have medicinal and therapeutic properties.
The most important wild medicinal plants in the province include tragacanth, shallot, licorice, thyme, chamomile, fennel, borage, rhubarb, thistle, yarrow, khakshir, wild roses, and sage.
Out of 8,000 plant species in the world, 2,500 species exist in the native habitats of Lorestan province.
Climatic diversity, mountainous terrain, and the specific conditions of plant growth in Lorestan and the existing capacities and capabilities can turn this province into a hub for the production of medicinal plants and provide employment for a large number of graduates of the agricultural sector (saffron cultivation in rainfed fields earns 40 times more than wheat).
Lorestan Forest
About 1 million and 200 thousand hectares of the area of Lorestan province is covered with forest, and the forests of the Zagros growing area are among the most valuable forest reserves in the world. The most important plant species in the forests of Lorestan is oak, which these trees have extraordinary ecological roles and are important resources for preserving water and soil.
Climate change and the existence of the phenomenon of dust, rising temperatures, changes in precipitation from snow to rain, and imbalances in the distribution of rainfall have intensified the drought and the destruction of oak trees in Lorestan.
Also, the forests of Lorestan have suffered from diseases and damage since 2009, part of which is due to human factors and part is also due to biological factors, and so far, no accurate research has been done in this field.
Lorestan Fisheries
One of the emerging capacities of this region is the establishment of warm-water, cold-water, and caviar fish farming centers, which has the first rank in the production of cold-water fish in non-coastal provinces.
The fish farming project in cages can also be one of the ways to produce fish in the province, which is being implemented and sometimes exploited.
Lorestan, with an annual production of 160 to 200 thousand tons of fingerlings, has the first rank in the country in the field of fingerling propagation, and with an annual production of about 30 thousand tons of cold-water fish, it annually wins the first to second rank in the country.
Lorestan Animal Husbandry
Lorestan province, with its climatic diversity and the existence of suitable climates, has a unique and unique position in the field of animal husbandry and its development.
The existence of approximately two million hectares of natural resources, pristine and green slopes and mountains, has made this province one of the most important hubs of animal husbandry in the country.
This province, with 6 million and 500 thousand livestock units, both light and heavy, and one of the main axes of nomadic migration, has a special importance and position in this sector.
Animal husbandry and agriculture are the main occupations of the people of this province.
According to statistics, this province produces seven percent of the country's red meat and ranks eighth in the country.
Also, Lorestan is in the fourteenth rank among the provinces in the production of chicken meat.
It is the twentieth province producing eggs.
The province's position in milk production is in the fourteenth rank.
Also, Lorestan produces three percent of the country's honey and ranks seventh in the table of provinces.
In the province, we have 1 million and 200 thousand hectares of forest and are among the first-ranked provinces in the Zagros growing area, we have very good pastures that, unfortunately, are being destroyed due to excessive grazing. Especially broad-leaved palatable plants……………………
On the other hand, the erosion of resources and the limitations of the capabilities and skills of users should make us equip the trainees and operators of the agricultural sector with the tools, facilities, and knowledge and techniques of the day more than ever. In fact, becoming knowledge-based means that research is not for research and not for the researcher, but in line with identifying a serious need and providing appropriate solutions, it should be followed up and implemented.
Knowledge-based production can lead to increased employment, especially the employment of educated forces in this field, increased production per unit area, reduced damage and losses caused by factors, increased productivity, increased exports, increased income of farmers, and increased diversity of agricultural products, and with this, we must more than ever consider the necessary infrastructure and conditions for the formation of knowledge-based companies and the use of the experience of other countries and provinces of our country in line with the movement towards knowledge-based agriculture.
Agriculture in Lorestan is completely up-to-date in some areas, and it can be said that it is knowledge-based agriculture; for example, greenhouse plant production, potato production, and apple production, and to a large extent, poultry production and cattle breeding in the province are close to knowledge-based; but in the field of agriculture, there is less orientation towards knowledge-based agriculture.
In the past years, less attention was paid to new scientific findings and research achievements in the agricultural sector, and less use was made of the views of researchers in this field; but fortunately, gradually, the orientation of senior provincial officials from outside the province to inside the province and from inside the province from purely implementation works to ideas and scientific, technical, and effective opinions of researchers has been somewhat focused; but in a general statement, it can still be said that in Lorestan province, on average, there is a 65 to 70 percent gap with knowledge-based in all agricultural fields; because for the scientific and research-oriented agriculture, in other words, knowledge-based, this sector must provide tools and infrastructure to make more use of the existing capacities in line with food security, food safety, and sustainable production of crops and livestock products.
Being knowledge-based or not being knowledge-based in the agricultural sector is no longer a populist or pretentious gesture, and in fact, to realize the existing capacities in agricultural lands, orchards, fish farms, livestock farms, and other agricultural sub-sectors, it is inevitable to turn to knowledge-based production and use problem-solving and responsive applied research, and of course, this important thing should also be redefined and followed up using the capacity of scientific and research centers
🔻According to existing statistics, the area of greenhouses in Lorestan has reached more than 112 hectares in 1403, and this province has the capacity to produce greenhouse products at a rate of 20 thousand tons of products per year.
Agriculture and animal husbandry are the main occupations of the people of the province, so that 140 thousand beneficiary families are currently active in this field.
Wheat, with about 300 thousand hectares of cultivated land, including 89 thousand and 200 hectares of irrigated land and the rest rainfed, has the largest area of agricultural land in the province.
Lorestan ranks first in the country in the production of legumes with an annual production of more than 140 thousand tons, and a major part of the province's production is offered to domestic and foreign markets annually.
Barley, with a cultivated area of 132 thousand and 300 hectares, of which 124 thousand hectares are irrigated and the rest are rainfed, is one of the products that occupies a high percentage of the province's lands.
Currently, Lorestan, with an annual production of more than 210 thousand tons of barley, is the third largest producer of this product in the country, so that a major part of the needs of livestock farmers in the western regions of the country is met in this province.
Experts in the horticulture sector say: The diversity of planting horticultural products in Lorestan and the excellence of some products such as Poldokhtar figs, Siab Koohdasht pomegranate, Khorramabad and Boroujerd apples, Dorud Marvook apricots, and walnuts require attention to the development of horticulture, organization, maintenance, and marketing of these products.
The province has great and unique potential and capacities in the development of agricultural and garden lands.
If the existing capabilities are properly utilized and appropriate planning is done in controlling surface water, changing the traditional method of agriculture to modern methods and mechanizing the planting stages and training the beneficiaries, the province can be turned into one of the main agricultural hubs of the country.
The development of pressurized irrigation systems, the construction of new gardens, earth dams, increasing the cultivated area of crops, flowers and ornamental plants, the development of greenhouse towns, and the development of livestock and fisheries units are among the programs under action of this organization……
The issue is that, according to my knowledge, the number of growth centers and knowledge-based companies active in the field of agriculture in Lorestan province is very limited and is not in proportion to the agricultural capacity of the province; therefore, it is necessary that the number of these centers and companies be developed in proportion to the agricultural capacities of Lorestan province.
Currently, only 25% of the province's agricultural lands are cultivated in an irrigated manner. He said: Despite the abundance of water, unfortunately, appropriate investment has not been made in the field of water control in the province, and with this in mind and proper use of the province's water resources, a major part of the rainfed lands can be converted to irrigated.
🔻 The total area of agricultural land in Lorestan is about 780 thousand hectares, of which more than 600 thousand hectares are rainfed, and only about 190 thousand hectares are allocated to irrigated cultivation.
🔻Many farmers in Lorestan have relied on underground resources to supply water to their farms due to a 40% reduction in rainfall, which has led to a drop in groundwater levels.
🔻The decrease in rainfall, consecutive droughts, and the high consumption of water in traditional agriculture have led some farmers to change cultivation methods and use greenhouse agriculture.
The rainfed nature of 75% of agricultural lands, the problems of supplying and controlling water resources, the fragmentation and dispersion of agricultural plots, the low level of literacy and unfamiliarity with the technical knowledge and skills of the beneficiaries, the high price of agricultural machinery, and the slow pace of mechanization development due to the financial poverty of the beneficiaries are among the problems of development in this sector in Lorestan.
The process of mechanization development in the province is slow, and it is necessary to take effective measures in this field.
He considered the lack of use of improved seeds by some farmers due to lack of awareness or financial poverty, weather conditions and inappropriate distribution of rainfall except for the current crop year, fluctuations in the price of agricultural products except for the purchase of guaranteed products, the presence of intermediaries and profiteering brokers, and the low level of literacy of the beneficiaries as the main problems of farmers.
So that the complete and 100% emptying of a large number of villages in the province and migration to big cities is the consequence of this crisis.
Traditional legume production is another problem that has prevented Lorestan province from appearing with all its production capacity in the field of legume production.
Production in an optimal and effective manner should take place in the various stages of providing production inputs, planting, maintaining, and harvesting legumes, both in the form of production know-how and agronomic activities, and in the form of using specialized machinery.
The lack of packaging, sorting, and processing factories for legumes is another challenge that Lorestan sees on its way to the development and export of legumes.
The director of the cultivation of the Jihad Agricultural Organization of the province said: Currently, 65% of agricultural lands in Lorestan are cultivated in a mechanized manner and the rest are cultivated in a semi-mechanized manner. 40 thousand tons of barley produced annually in the province is used, and the rest is sent to other provinces such as Kermanshah, Hamedan, Ilam, and Markazi.
Based on the statistics of the Lorestan Jihad Agricultural Organization, while the cultivated area of this product has decreased by five percent compared to the previous crop year, but due to suitable climatic conditions, timely distribution of agricultural inputs, benefiting from supervising engineers and training wheat farmers, the amount of product production has increased and reaches 580 to 600 thousand tons, and this province is ranked seventh in the country.
Various legumes with 161 thousand and 650 hectares of cultivated area have the largest cultivated area after wheat, of which chickpeas have 112 thousand hectares, lentils 21 thousand and 800 hectares, beans 22 thousand and 450 hectares, and other legumes have five thousand and 400 hectares of cultivated area.
In this province, there are more than 800 thousand hectares of agricultural land, which, despite benefiting from 13.5 billion cubic meters of runoff, only 25% of the land is cultivated in an irrigated manner.
Rice is cultivated on an area of five thousand and 400 hectares, corn eight thousand hectares, sugar beet seven thousand and 500 hectares, canola eight thousand and 177 hectares, soybeans 650 hectares, cucumber 13 thousand and 435 hectares, other garden products five thousand and 800 hectares, potatoes four thousand and 500 hectares, onions 500 hectares, vegetables four thousand and 460 hectares, forage plants 22 thousand and 810 hectares, and other crops in an area of two thousand and 768 hectares in the province.
"Azim Dadgar" added: In total, the cultivated area of fruitful orchards in this province has increased by about 50% to 43 thousand hectares, and more than 120 thousand tons of various products are produced annually, of which more than 80% of the products are cold-climate gardens and the rest are semi-tropical.
The head of the Lorestan Jihad Agricultural Organization said: Currently, 140 thousand beneficiary families are employed in the agricultural sector of this province.
"Reza Fatuhi" added: In the past crop year, about 2 million and 400 thousand tons of various agricultural products were produced by this number of families, which showed a significant growth compared to the previous year.
He emphasized the need to train farmers in the field of production activities in various sectors, and mentioned training as the best solution to increase production efficiency and as one of the important priorities of this organization.
Fatuhi added: By providing the necessary training, improving skills and up-to-date knowledge to farmers, production can be increased several times the existing statistics per unit area.
The head of the Lorestan Jihad Agricultural Organization reminded: In the agricultural sector of this province, there are many capabilities for production and economic prosperity, which, if the necessary infrastructure is provided in this sector, many job opportunities will be created.
Another challenge in the development of legume cultivation and export in Lorestan is the weak management in branding the province's legumes in the country, so that the product of chickpeas in this province is offered by intermediaries and in the name of other provinces of the country, and in addition to the fact that the name of Lorestan is not mentioned in export and domestic packaging, farmers also do not get the real right that is the result of their year-long labor; therefore, regional and national advertising, holding specialized seminars and conferences related to legumes at the national and international level, holding national and local food and health festivals, consulting with officials of the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture, using the political power of the province's representatives, and the like can help brand legumes in the province.
In addition, Iranian chickpeas were previously exported in bulk inside containers and inside ships, so it is necessary to export chickpeas in elegant and labeled packaging with the Iranian brand.
The lack of a union and guild of legume workers is another of the shortcomings that has reduced the ground for the export and more effective supply of provincial producers.
Undoubtedly, many issues and problems of production and product supply, including the supply of production inputs, the elimination of brokers and intermediaries, consultation on determining the cost price, sorting and packaging, and marketing can be improved by forming cooperatives, unions,
