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A MOU between the SFIDA and the Mani Asia International Group was signed on February 13, 2025, at SFIDA headquarters.

The purpose of preparing and implementing this memorandum is to create a basis for cooperation to benefit from the actual and potential capacities of the Agricultural Development Support Funds and the Mani Asia International Group in order to develop investment in the field of agriculture and related industries, focusing on the development of the value chain of agricultural products and contract farming for the production of export products.

Therefore, in line with the effective presence and participation of the Agricultural Development Support Funds in the following issues, this memorandum was concluded:

1- Participation in the development of the value chain of agricultural products, focusing on contract farming with the aim of producing healthy agricultural products based on the comparative advantages of production in different provinces of the country, including pistachio and raisin crops in the first stage and apples, tea and honey in the subsequent stages

2- Using the capacity of the extensive network of provincial funds in identifying, organizing and training pioneer farmers to implement contract farming and production in different regions of the country

3- Planning to prepare production procedures (protocols) based on target market standards

4- Using the capacity of the Rural and Nomadic Women’s Agricultural Development Support Funds to produce homemade quality dried fruit products in accordance with target market standards and ensuring the purchase of these products by Mani Asia International Group

In the first stage, to implement and operate this memorandum, the goal is to develop the export of two products, pistachios and raisins, using the supply capacities of the Agricultural Support Funds and the packaging, export capacities, as well as Mani Company’s domestic credit line.

Alizadeh Moghadam, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors, SFIDA said: This memorandum was signed in line with changing the approach of the funds and as a platform for carrying out development activities including contract farming, completing the value chain, and producing healthy products in accordance with global standards.

The meeting was attended by some of CEOs and government representatives in the provincial funds including Kerman, Qazvin, Semnan, Yazd, Markazi, Hamedan, and East Azerbaijan, as well as County funds of Farouj, Takestan, Tehran, and Quchan.

The CEOs of the provincial agricultural development support funds and product funds, in the presence of board members, advisors, and managers of the SFIDA (Supportive Fund for Investment Development of Agriculture) met with the Minister and his Deputy on Planning and Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Agricultural-Jahad on January 8, 1403.

At first, Alizadeh Moghadam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Managing Director of the SFIDA discussed the activities, performance, and programs of the SFIDA and the Agricultural Development Support Funds, and gave examples of the effectiveness of the funds in completing the production chain and the value of agricultural products, determining the price of inputs, exporting agricultural products, and so on.

Then, the Minister of Agriculture Jihad stated that the agricultural development support funds are the main pillars of this industry in financing, and said: A package of capacities and investment opportunities for the agricultural sector should be developed at the county, provincial and national levels to be presented to foreign and domestic investors.

Gholamreza Nouri, the minister,  considered the funds to be one of the points of manifestation of the government’s interaction with the people and the private sector, and added: Agricultural support funds are important and effective institutions and can play a more important role than in the current situation and continue their path with greater strength.

He clarified: These support funds are interacting with each other financially, and in fact, the most difficult type of interaction is related to the way the funds work, which bring the people and the private sector together in the field of financing and investment support in the development of the agricultural sector.

The Minister of Agricultural-Jahad, stating that specialized funds in the field of exports should be activated, said: Specialized funds should use the products produced by the fund members for exports and creating an export market, because activating exports will support and strengthen production and have positive effects on the agricultural economy.

He clarified: The agricultural sector is the driving force of the country’s economy. According to the latest statistics, the agricultural sector’s economic growth in 1403 is ahead of other sectors with a growth of 2.9 percent, meaning that the agricultural sector is a pivotal and important economic activity in the country, which, along with the important issue of food security, is considered a driving economic activity and drives its previous and subsequent activities, namely industry and services.

In this meeting, the managers of various thematic funds supporting the agricultural sector presented reports explaining the investment status and activity trends in their fields of work.

SFIDA organized an international webinar entitled: Development of Agribusiness Enterprises and Marketing.

Hossein Shahbaz, Director of International Cooperation of Supportive Fund of Investment Development in Agriculture (SFIDA) chaired the webinar. First he international business of the agricultural crops and the position of the Malaysia specifically on Tropical Fruits.

The speaker was Yacob Ahmad, Advisor, International Tropical Fruits Network (TFNet), Malaysia. 

The title of his presentation was: Value chains and market enhancements – case of tropical fruits in Asia and the Pacific.

He started with the production of TROPICAL FRUIT PRODUCTION:

• Major tropical fruits based on trade are banana, pineapple, mango, avocado and papaya (FAO)
• The minor fruit types – dragon fruit, rambutan, durian, jackfruit, passionfruit, longan and others
• Total world production estimated at more than 207 million tones in 2017 (banana and major tropical fruits).
• India, China, Philippines, Ecuador and Brazil largest banana producers
• For major fruits, Asia and the Pacific produces an estimated 55 percent, Latin America and the Caribbean 32 percent and Africa 11 percent
• Production in South East Asia estimated about 21 percent of total production
• Most tropical fruits produced are consumed domestically.

Yacob explained about the value chain and marketing of the Agricultural Crops:

1. Description of the full range of activities required to bring a product or service through the different phases of production in response to consumer demand.
2. A sequence driven by consumer demand and marked by value growth and coordination at each stage of production, processing and distribution.
3. It carries with it a range of support functions such as input supply, financial services, transport, packaging , market research and advertising.
4. The actors consist of input providers, smallholders, processors, packagers, distributors and retailers.
5. VC analysis :
   – Identification of dynamic linkages between production activities
   – Constraints, levels of inefficiencies that prevent further addition of net value and competitiveness
   – Identification of gaps along the chain and recommend interventions

He added the challenges of the crops marketing as per following list:

• Maintaining quality and quantity of product
• Seasonality of produce and price inconsistencies
• Increased cost of production – inputs, workers and transportation
• Lack of smallholders’ integration into value chains
• Lack of postharvest technologies and facilities for increased shelf life
• Competitiveness
• Requirements of the export market – e.g. vapour heat treatment etc.
• Climate change challenges

At the end he gave some success stories of the countries like Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.

SFIDA organized an International Training Webinar entitled: Business Development and Entrepreneurship of Rural Women on 12 November 2024 for the managing directors of 171 Supportive Funds for Agriculture Development.

Hossein Shahbaz, director of International Cooperation division, SFIDA as the chairperson of the meeting briefed about the Rural Women Development which is very much considered by UN and also targeting of SDG on Rural Women Development and Zero Poverty. He also added that Parul Garden could train about 4000 rural poor women and now these women can support their family and some of them has become a good entrepreneur.

The lecturer, Santona Momtaz, CEO of Parul Garden made a presentation on Strengthening of Rural Women by capacity building and skill development.

She told, the mission of Parul Garden is:

“Almighty helps them who help themselves” believing in this truth, Parul Garden wants to achieve goals to a happy and joyful environment with all of it’s Employees, Producers, Artisans, Trainers, trainees and buyers. This proves that “Everyone is for everyone”.

The followings are the target group of Parul Garden:

• Women, adolescent girls, Men and adolescent boys who are in need.
• Differently able people
• Indigenous People.

She added, Parul Garden has a strong and renowned Training cell for staff and beneficiaries development. Since long the Training cell has been working not only within it’s own field but also with other development organizations who are interested to develop their staff and beneficiaries.

As per her experiences, the followings were the challenges to bring the poor rural women to the society:

• Most of the time these rural women lost their self-confidence for different circumstances and situation.
• This is really a challenge to bring back them with Love, respect and passion.
• Attitude of high level society to disvalue the poor rural women.

Plan for 2025:

• New working area will be expanded to Southern Bangladesh near Sunderbon the Man grove forest.
• More Entrepreneurs will come out.

The first International Rural Women’s Day conference was held in the Agricultural research, education and extension  organization, ministry of Agriculture- jahad.

Representative of Asia Pacific Agricultural Research Organization (APAARI), Director General of the Integrated Rural Development Organization of Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), Ambassadors and Representatives of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia and SFIDA’s CEO were present at this ceremony.

The speakers stated the importance of women’s role in society and Supporting rural women.

Successful rural women in the field of facilitation and entrepreneurship were also honored in this conference.

Ms. Azam Motazedian and Ms. Zahra Porabbas were two women, as CEOs of the Supportive Fund for Rural Women Agricultural Activities including Shiraz and Tabriz counties awarded by the minster for their success on Rural Women Development and financial support for their activities. 

To address the rural and nomad women, SFIDA has already set up 20 Supportive Fund for Rural Women Agricultural Activities in 8 provinces of the country to support rural women’s activities.

The International Symposium on Tropical Fruits 2024 will be organized in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 22-24 Oct.

The details of the event is available with the attached poster.

On the occasion of the 2^nd World Rural Development Day, Supportive Fund of Investment Development in Agriculture (SFIDA) and Office of Agriculture Activities Development of Rural and Nomadic Women, Ministry of Agriculture-Jahad are going to organize a webinar entitled: Women and Rural Development, on 6^th July, 2024.

SFIDA will share the experiences from the Supportive Fund for Rural Women Agricultural Activities of Kurdistan province and Office of Agriculture Activities Development of Rural and Nomadic Women is going to share the experiences of Rural Women Micro Credit Fund of Semnan province.

There will be a speech by Sumyia Rashid, CEO, SR Asia Bangladesh and Dr. Virapat Cherdsak, DG, CIRDAP will deliver the inauguration speech.

The following link will connect you to the webinar on 6^th July, 2024 at 08:00-10:00 am Iran Standard Time.

https://worldruraldevelopmentday.org/call-for-participation/

The inaugurated projects are:

1. A research center for Potato seeds including the farm, chamber and cooling room.
2. An access asphalt road to Greenhouse State
3. A greenhouse chamber for Indian pennywort, (Centella Asiatica) including Germination Chamber/Growth Room for Seedling Production, warehouse, pre-cooling and cooling house.

The role of support funds for the development of the agricultural sector in providing financial resources for the livestock sub-sector, including working capital for active units, Livestock inputs supply, activating non-active, semi-functional and semi-constructed units were discussed by SFIDA CEO and chair, board members, CEOs of national and provincial Agricultural Support.

In this meeting the parties discussed ways to develop the funds activities and Ways to increase funds capital.

Alizadeh Moghadam, SFIDA CEO, requested the board and the CEO’s of the funds to develop the activities of the funds to receive supports from government.

The Research and Technology Fund and some of its member signed different MOUs with Armenian Agriculture sector businessmen to provide them knowledge based services.

Dariush Shahriari, CEO of the fund said: these MOUs will strengthen the collaboration among our science based companies who are the member of the fund and Armenian partners and accordingly will extend the regional cooperation of the members to achieve more efficient Agriculture.