20th February 2011
Contract of Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects
by the Government of Japan regarding
Khorasan Razavi Agricultural-Jihad Provincial Office
Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) has acquired an excellent reputation for providing flexible and timely support to development projects at the grass-roots level. The contract for granting a donation of €72,461 to Khorasan Razavi Agricultural-Jihad Provincial Office will be signed by Mr. Kinichi Komano, Ambassador of Japanese Embassy in Iran and Mr. Seyed-Mohammad Tabatabai-Yazdi, Director General of Khorasan Razavi Agricultural-Jihad Provincial office, on 23 February 2011.
In Sabzevar township of Khorasan Razavi province, saffron production is a main source of income for many farmers. For producing good quality saffron, the farmers have to process it in a short period between harvest and packing time. For this, they need to enhance the mechanization system, which they cannot afford the expenses. Therefore, the farmers in this area have been boxed in poverty.
To break out of this situation, a cooperative was established in 2005 by the rural women of the area for processing saffron products. Since then, they have been trying to increase their income through several activities such as getting the grading license for saffron in cooperation with Khorasan Razavi Agricultural-Jihad Provincial Office. However, it has been difficult for them to earn enough money to purchase appropriate equipment on their own.
For these reasons, Khorasan Razavi Agricultural-Jihad Provincial Office initiated a plan to establish the workshop for processing and packing not only saffron but also other agricultural products and applied for GGP to finance the required establishment. The Government of Japan accepted this project and is going to sign the contract with Khorasan Razavi Agricultural-Jihad Provincial Office.
The Government of Japan intends to further continue its assistance to Local governments, NGOs and non-profit organizations actives in the humanitarian and development fields, in the Islamic Republic of Iran. (End)
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