Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran

In a ceremony attended by deputy ministers of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, the National Center for Providing Healthy and Authentic Primary Nuclei of Horticultural Plants was officially inaugurated at the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII).

The inauguration ceremony coincided with the opening of the Collaborative Veterinary Lab for Enzymes and Bio-additives. The event was attended by key figures, including Gholamreza Golmohammadi, Deputy Minister and Head of the Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization (AREEO); Mohammad Mehdi Boroumandi, Deputy Minister for Horticultural Affairs; and Alireza Rafieipour, Deputy Minister and Head of the Veterinary Organization of Iran.

In his speech, Dr. Golmohammadi emphasized the scientific authority of AREEO, stating, "One of the key responsibilities of our organization is to maintain scientific leadership. ABRII, as a technology-driven Institute, has prioritized the need for technology to ensure sustainable food security in the country." He added, "Until now, we lacked a facility dedicated to ensuring the authenticity and health of horticultural plants. The two laboratories inaugurated today are the first of their kind in the country."

Dr. Boroumandi, Deputy Minister for Horticultural Affairs, also addressed the gathering, stating, "We are working on a comprehensive program for the production of certified seedlings, which are the most critical input in horticulture." He stressed the importance of healthy primary nuclei as a fundamental step toward achieving healthy seedlings, noting that the seedlings provided to farmers must have the highest production potential.

Dr. Mohsen Mardi, Director General of ABRII, explained the mission of the newly established center: "The National Center for Providing Healthy and Authentic Primary Nuclei of Horticultural Plants will serve as the infrastructure for producing healthy seedlings. This will significantly boost the productivity and production of the country's orchards." Mardi added that the center's primary mission is to supply healthy and authentic primary nuclei of horticultural plants to a network of knowledge-based companies for the production and propagation of healthy and authentic seedlings.

Mardi projected that the center would contribute at least $1 billion annually to the national economy, thanks to a 50% increase in orchard productivity and a subsequent rise in production and exports of horticultural products. He also pointed out that the center was established and operationalized through active collaboration with Horticultural Sciences Research Institute (HSRI) and Seed and Plant Certification and Registration Institute (SPCRI).