Harvesting 850 tons more mint from Bajestan farms
Director of Bajestan Agricultural Jihad said: the area under mint cultivation in the city is 17 hectares, the average harvest of each hectare is 50 tons of mint and 15 to 16 tons of dry mint, which we predict will be harvested by the end of the harvest season, about 850 tons more mint .
Mohammad Shojaei stated: Mint cultivation has been common in Bajestan for a long time and has almost become ingrained in the culture and tradition of the people of the region. Currently, many people in Bajestan, especially in the upstream areas, including Zineabad, Sarideh, Amiriyeh, Rezaieh and Ahang, are cultivating mint.
He continued: The mint harvest has started in June and will continue until late summer and early autumn, and during the harvest period, 4 to 5 crops will be harvested. Currently, farmers in the region in China are the last to harvest mint.
The director of Bajestan Agricultural Jihad, referring to the role of mint cultivation in creating jobs for the people of the region, especially the villagers, said: 10 people are directly and 3 people are indirectly working per hectare during the harvest, and if there is an increase The area under cultivation, as well as the establishment of relevant processing units, will definitely provide more employment opportunities for people.
Due to the lack of processing infrastructure and conversion industries, and on the other hand due to frequent droughts in recent years, the area under cultivation has not increased as expected, but due to the good rainfall of the last one or two years, the level Cultivation has increased from 10 hectares to 17 hectares.
He said: One of the necessities in the cultivation of mint, processing and processing industries is that in this regard, initial measures have been taken and the construction of an essential oil extraction plant is one of the projects whose preliminary follow-ups are underway.
Shojaei said: until the necessary infrastructure is provided, one of the unused halls of the city was given to one of the entrepreneurs of the city in order to create hygienic and standard conditions for drying mint, which had positive effects because the necessary conditions were provided and The standard for drying mint prevented the mint from falling into the hands of the farmer, and with the management of the market supply and demand, the price of mint became fairer than before.
He reminded: in agricultural products such as mint, a fair price in which neither the producer nor the consumer loses, is very important and certainly the unfair price will change the direction of consumption and the direction of cultivation.
Shojaei added: The adjustment of the price of mint and the increase in the fair price that we have seen this year have encouraged many farmers to cultivate mint next year if the conditions are suitable in terms of rainfall.
Shojaei emphasized: Bajestan mint is unique in terms of taste and essential oil due to suitable climatic conditions, including the effects of night and day temperature differences, altitude and irrigation by fresh water of the aqueduct.
The director of Bajestan Agricultural Jihad pointed out: One of the suitable opportunities for investment is mint processing and processing industries, and we hope that investors will enter this field and make good use of this opportunity.
Certainly, by investing in this sector and creating jobs, the economic prosperity of the region will be provided, and the villagers, with these new job opportunities, will think less about migrating and will remain in the region.