Iran's Deputy Minister of Agriculture Jihad for Planning Sadeq Khalkhalian said on Wednesday that by the Fourth Five-Year Development Plan (March 2005-2010), the agriculture sector growth rate is planned to hit 6.5 percent per year.
He told IRNA that the current agriculture sector growth figure stands at about 4.5 percent annually.
He added that currently only about 5 percent of total national investments is directed to the sector, "which is a meager sum at the time when the needed is twice as much." Khalkhalian highlighted the role of banks for drawing higher investments to reach the target set out in the development plan.
