Fuel Supply to Villages Reduce Dependency on Forests

Mahmoud Hojjati Minister of Agriculture Jahad in a live program of channel 1 of IRIB on Saturday said that before the revolution, many villagers used firewood for heating but today we have replaced gas with firewood in many villages and therefore reduced dependency to firewood and forest resources sharply.

According to FRWO’s website, Hojjati added that fuel and gas supplies are in line with protecting the country's natural resources specially water and soil resources. he also emphasized that this is a great blessing from God that today, more than 85% of our rural population are enjoying gas for cooking and heating in their houses.

The Minister commenting on the watershed management achievements said that watershed management operations including soil conservation and aquifers recharge have risen from 500 thousand hectares to 27 million hectares after Revolution.

Mahmoud Hojjati in another part of his interview, pointed out to the progress made in afforestation operations in the country and said plantation, restoration and development of the northern forests from 30 thousand hectares before the revolution has reached to 400 thousand hectares.

Minister of Agriculture Jahad also stated that we had been facing with water scarcity in the past centuries and we have experienced many droughts and water stresses in the past and the existence of Qanat system across the country is a clear evidence for historical water shortage in this territory.

Minister of Agriculture Jahad said that climatic diversity has created many capacities in the country. For instance Iran has a dry climate that is suitable for ostrich breeding and therefore we have the second largest ostrich population in the world. He also reiterated that ostrich breeding and medicinal plants cultivation considering their little water demand and high added value, are ideal alternative economic activities that should be captured for future planning.