Crisis in the Ahwazi date sector due to iranian negligence and lack of infrastructure
Date producers in Ahwaz have warned of the potential collapse of the date sector as a result of ongoing negligence by Iranian authorities and the absence of logistical support and essential infrastructure for storing and exporting this vital product, which is considered one of Ahwaz’s most important agricultural resources.
The head of the Ahwaz Date Association, Majed Motourianpour, stated that Ahwaz still lacks standard cold storage facilities for preserving dates, which leads to crop spoilage and a decline in the quality of products intended for export.
He added that the Ahwazi agricultural sector suffers from water shortages and high salinity, resulting in a 50% drop in date production this year.
Motourianpour also noted that the only government-owned warehouse refuses to receive locally grown dates, leaving farmers to face their losses alone amid the absence of state support and the infrastructure that Iran provides to its own provinces.
He explained that Ahwazi date varieties such as Estemaran and Barhi were once exported to European and Asian markets, but Iranian negligence and the lack of proper packaging and refrigerated transport facilities now threaten to eliminate these markets entirely.
Observers believe that the deterioration of the date industry in Ahwaz is part of a deliberate policy aimed at destroying the local economy and depriving the Ahwazi people of the benefits of their natural and agricultural resources, while the profits of Ahwaz are redirected to centers of Iranian influence.
