Business Potential for Agricultural Biotechnology - Asian Productivity ...

6. AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY STATUS
IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN:
PROGRESS, PRODUCTS, LIMITATIONS, AND FUTURE
Ali Reza Seifi Abdolabad
Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran
Karaj
INTRODUCTION
The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the largest importing countries for agricultural products.
As shown in Table 1, agricultural productivity is not sufficient; a revolution is needed.
Many years ago it had been the aim of Iranian researchers to try to reduce this dependency on
imports and achieve food self-sufficiency. These endeavors were successful to a limited extent,
for example, in 2004 self-sufficiency in wheat production was attained. However, agricultural
production strategies, based primarily on old-fashioned methods, were not sufficient to meet the
challenges. With the rapid developments in biotechnology and genetic engineering techniques,
many scientists in Iran hoped to solve the country’s food problems more rapidly and efficiently.
Now, elsewhere, biotechnology-derived agricultural products are multiplying in number and area
grown and are considered by many to be a remedy for overcoming world food shortages.
Table 1. Agricultural Materials Imported in 2003 and Their Value, Iran
Material
Quantity
(Mt)
Value
(USD
1000)
– 116 –
Material
Quantity
(Mt)
Value
(USD
1000)
1 Barley 6,374 980 12 Cottonseed oil 2,447 1,496
2 Maize 3,089,731 437,880 13 Linseed oil 3,678 386
3 Oilseed 845,560 234,833 14 Olive oil 922 740
4 Potatoes 33,189 3,362 15 Palm oil 126,970 60,055
5 Rapeseed 432 2,009 16 Rapeseed oil 19,974 12,369
6 Rice 945,729 276,316 17 Soybean oil 923,384 514,508
7 Soybean 828,000 225,041 18 Sunflower oil 117,856 789,382
8 Wheat 406,365 168,466 19 Chicken meat 5,175 4,460
9 Wheat
flour
2,345 600 20 Hen eggs 2,345 4,988
10 Sugar 406,365 81,210 21 Dry milk 8,341 24,411
11 Textile
fibers
8,797 38,254 22 Cottonseed oil 2,447 1,496
Source: FAO
AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS READY FOR THE MARKET
Biofertilizers
Phosphate Biofertilizer
This product is the result of a 12-year study of phosphate-dissolving bacteria. These bacteria
occupy the plant root region and cause release of the phosphorous from insoluble minerals
and organic soil compounds and result in an increase of available phosphate for the plant. About
80% of chemical phosphate fertilizers convert into an insoluble form in the soil very quickly.
This means that more than the necessary amount of phosphorous must be added to the soil, re-