Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol discussed potential agriculture investment opportunities with the Special Trade Adviser (STA)​ to the ​Embassy of the Philippines in ​Tehran, Iran, Mr. ​Nader Saeedi, during the latter’s call on the Secretary on April 2, 2018.

As part of his proposal, Saeedi said his company intends to establish a 50-meter tractor assembly line in the Philippines to help Filipino farmers by providing readily available, tailor-fit farm implements and tractors, and technical trainings on its operation and maintenance.

“Initially, we can provide 50 to 100 units of tractors for farmers even at the barangay level,” Saeedi said.

Sec. Piñol said the proposal of Mr. Saeedi complements the government farm mechanization program which is implemented thru the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), by providing loans to farmer cooperatives. With these loans, the cooperatives have its full decision to procure their preferred brand of tractors.

“We can provide the tractors first in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur. The good thing about this project is we provide long term credit for farmers. We will also help you find suitable local partners” Piñol said to Saeedi.

The Secretary also acknowledged Iran’s requirement for tropical fruits such as bananas and pineapples, as well as processed and canned Halal foods which the Philippines could capture.

“We can start exporting organically grown rice from Mindanao which is already exported to some parts of Dubai,” Piñol said.

Saeedi also said DA can look at the possibility of Iran as an access gate to Commonwealth Independent States (CIS). Since 2007, Iran has been working to widen its ties with the CIS nations as part of its foreign policy.

CIS is composed of ten former Soviet Republics: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

“Strategically, we are connecting (in a way) bigger and wider markets,” Saeedi said.