The Dutch agrofood sector is once again showing more interest in investing in Iran, says Dutch agricultural counselor Hans Smolders. This has been different for a long time due to the political tensions between Iran and the US and the EU.
An increasing number of Dutch companies have recently been requesting information from the Dutch embassy in Tehran.
For various reasons, the Netherlands had no agricultural counselor in Iran since 2005, until Smolders was stationed there in 2017. However, the previous US president Trump's confrontational approach threatened to cause disruption due to numerous trade sanctions.
Promotion
Previously, the Netherlands exported around €1.2 billion to Iran, of which a part was in the agricultural sector. This has dropped sharply due to those international economic sanctions. In 2020, the total export value was less than half that amount; almost €0.5 billion.
With the inauguration of new US president Joe Biden, relations between Iran and the rest of the world are improving. According to Smolders, this will undoubtedly have a positive effect on trade, especially if the sanctions are lifted. He observes that many Dutch agrofood companies are ready to do business there.
According to him, the Netherlands is beginning to gain a foothold in the Iranian potato sector following a seminar with 250 participants and professional input from the Netherlands. The potato sector is growing considerably there and can well use the input of knowledge and technology.
In the protected horticulture sector as well, the Netherlands has established the first successful contacts. Since 2015, the greenhouse area has increased by 6,000 hectares. Dutch greenhouse builders have played an important role in this.
Recently, agreements have been made between Iraqi and Dutch parties to conduct trials with the cultivation of salt-tolerant crops. Iraq is requesting more Dutch knowledge about saline agriculture. And now Iran too, according to Smolders.