The following is the full text of a speech delivered on November 5, 2005 by Ayatollah Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with farmers.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
First of all, I would like to congratulate all you esteemed farmers and all Iranians on the Week of Agricultural Jihad. Considering the importance of agriculture in current conditions and for the future of this country, it is very important for me to meet with those who make efforts in the area of agriculture.The points that were raised in this meeting were very good points. The points that were raised by the four brothers, the exemplary farmers, were very good and heartwarming for me. The comments that were made by the four brothers were a beautiful reflection of self-confidence, hope for the future, courageous and consistent efforts and reliance on Allah the Exalted. Similarly, the points that were raised by the esteemed minister were completely correct and this shows that the organization in charge of agriculture is determined to wisely re-organize the affairs relating to agriculture while taking all aspects of the issue into consideration. I would like to point out a few things to our farmers and to the managers in charge of the agricultural sector.
What I wish to tell you dear farmers and all Iranian farmers across the country is that the work you are doing is very significant. A farmer who is working on his one- or five-hectare land in a distant corner of the country is doing his share of the work, the work to maintain one essential pillar of the existence of our country. Take care not to let the importance of agriculture be undermined. Agriculture is very important and valuable. This is why Islam considers farmers so valuable. What is it that you do and what is the nature of your work? You use the God-given blessings of land and water to extract divine blessings that have been embedded in the soil, sunshine and other natural elements and to keep alive those who live on planet earth. In the absence of food, there would be no life and you are the ones who provide food for humanity. For this reason, your work has an inherent value. Today our country - which is the target of the grudge and malevolence of the bullying powers simply because it would not give in to their bullying - needs food security more than ever before so that it does not have to depend on other countries for its bread, daily food requirements, cooking oil and meat. Our nation needs food security so that it does not have to rely on other people, people who might ask for its honor and dignity in return for these products. Food security is absolutely essential for our country.
Last year, when it was announced that our country had achieved self-sufficiency in the production of wheat, I believe it was a great Eid for us. I felt grateful from the bottom of my heart to our farmers, to the managers who are in charge of the agricultural sector and to the knowledgeable youth who helped in this regard. I am sure that the people of Iran also felt grateful. This was a great achievement. There were young men who made efforts in order to make this achievement and they succeeded. Our country is the same country whose agriculture was undermined during the time of taghut in order to make us dependent and build a market for the wheat and other agricultural products that were produced by foreigners. With the population growth that we have had - the population of our country has increased two-fold since the Revolution - if we had remained dependent on foreigners just like those times, they would have humiliated our nation and put a heavy burden on its shoulders for every ton of wheat they provided. And they would have stopped providing wheat whenever they wanted. But our nation achieved self-sufficiency in the production of wheat.
The same thing must happen in the case of other essential food products - in the case of rice, cooking oil, meat and dairy products. This is among the needs of our country. Our country must not be dependent on others. The people of our country should rest assured that you farmers and ranchers will provide them with food thanks to your pride, religious faith and determined efforts and that they will not have to depend on others for such products. The people do not want to pay for such products while being humiliated by foreigners and constantly worrying about the day when a political problem gets in the way. Iranian farmers ensure food security for the people of Iran. This is a great honor and you should appreciate the value of your work. Throughout our country, young Iranian farmers, who are sometimes attracted to other employment opportunities, should know that the value and significance of their work is more than the majority of other occupations as far as the communal life of their people is concerned. And there is room for expansion of this work.
There was a day when a farmer had to work on a part of his farm for thirty, forty years to produce a little wheat, but that day is gone. In today's world, new technologies, new areas of knowledge and new experiences have appeared in the area of agriculture. You sometimes see that a hardworking farmer manages to increase his average output of wheat per hectare from four tons to eleven, twelve tons. The same increase in output has been observed in the production of rice, olives and canola. The capacities are no longer limited. Young people should step in and go through the necessary stages of training. Those who have the necessary means and conditions should receive education in the area of soil, water and different agricultural areas. Then they should work on the farms of our rich homeland and extract divine blessings out of it. This is possible. Of course, other organizations should help in this regard. This is the point that I wanted to discuss with you farmers. Your work is great and important - important on a national level. If we consider the issue more carefully, we will realize that with the important role that the Islamic Republic plays and with the flag of Islam that has been raised in this country, your work is important on an international level as well. Appreciate the value of your work and thank God for the opportunity that has been provided for you. Take further steps forward every coming day and encourage young people - at least, your own youth and other young people who have received education in the area of agriculture and have the enthusiasm to work in this area - to join the large population of Iranian farmers.
This is the amount of importance that our government officials should attach to the agricultural sector. The agricultural sector plays a fundamental role in the management of our country. It is necessary to view this sector with this attitude when providing educational content in universities, when allocating budgets and when placing efficient and capable individual in charge of different affairs. It is necessary to avoid disregarding the issue of agriculture in the country. Of course, industries are also important and when I emphasize agriculture, it does not mean I am rejecting the importance of industries, which are another essential pillar of the progress of our country. However, the attractive aspects and social prestige of other occupations must not affect and undermine the importance of the agricultural sector. This sector includes the main arteries of society and tangible aspects of communal life in society are clearer in this sector. This is because the issue of food and food security and the independence that results from food security and self-sufficiency depend on the agricultural sector. Therefore, the first point is that our government officials should treat agriculture with this attitude. As I said earlier, this attitude affects universities, different academic areas that are related to agriculture, organization of educational content in universities, admitting students into universities and training professors as well as different other services that the government can provide for farmers, such as the services relating to the banks, the services relating to the Management and Planning Organization and the services relating to the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad.
The second point that is related to our government officials is that the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad should live up to the expectations in the area of agriculture and act in a jihadi way. Since the beginning of the Revolution, every great achievement has been made thanks to self-confidence, ambitious ideas and jihadi work. The day when the youth in the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad started great projects in our country, even those who were watching with their own eyes could not believe that Iranian youth would be able to complete the projects. During the time of the taghuti regime, our country used to import wheat from America and our silos used to be built by the Russians. Our country was not even capable of building silos. We had to depend on the Russians. We did not have the technological know-how in the country. During the early years after the Revolution, the youth who were active in Jihad Daneshgahi said that Imam Khomeini (r.a.) had ordered the people to grow wheat. In order to store wheat, we needed silos. Who could we depend on for the silos except ourselves and our efforts and innovation? They started the work in this area. Some people were watching the construction of the silos - which was of course on a limited level at the beginning - but they could not believe what they saw. And thanks to the efforts of our youth, today our country is one of the outstanding countries in the area of constructing silos. This is the nature of jihadi work.
We made progress in each and every industrial, technological, technical and scientific area whenever we stepped in with a jihadi spirit. What is the meaning of jihadi spirit? Jihadi spirit means having faith in our capabilities. It means engaging in constant and tireless efforts and utilizing all the intellectual and physical capacities and self-confidence of our youth. For example, in the area of nuclear energy, which has spread panic among the arrogant powers, the majority of those who do the work are our educated youth. It is hundreds of young educated people who carry this work forward and have created this source of pride for our country. This is true of all sectors. It is necessary to have faith in our capable workforce, both our youth and those who are experienced. Having faith in these individuals, reliance on Allah the Exalted and purely divine intentions are the pillars. In the case of agricultural issues, animal husbandry and other such affairs that have been entrusted to the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, the ministry must act in a jihadi way in the true sense of word
I have told our farmers to make efforts and ensure food security of the country, but at the same time I would tell our government officials that this is not the ultimate goal and that we need to become an exporter of agricultural products. We need to be able to benefit others as well. This work has to be shouldered by different governmental organizations and they should provide the necessary means to achieve this goal. We are capable of achieving this goal.
Our government officials constantly say that there is a lack of water resources in the country. Yes, I am aware that our country is not rich in terms of water resources, but do we make the best of the water resources that we have? The answer is negative. This is among the responsibilities of the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad and different other ministries and governmental organizations. They have the responsibility of educating people about how to make the best of our water resources. They are responsible for the management of water in different sectors. They are responsible for preserving the amount of water that we get from rainfall using different methods and techniques that are common in the world. Therefore, our country is not rich in terms of water resources, but the amount of water that we have is enough to grow the agricultural products that we need. The same is true of our farmland. I have read in the reports that we currently have slightly more than eighteen million hectares of arable land, which is suitable for dryland and irrigated farming, horticulture and other such purposes. The amount can increase to thirty million hectares, namely a two-fold increase. During my trips to different parts of the country, I have seen stretches of land that can be turned into arable land. We have many resources in the country. Our country is rich in the true sense of the word and the people should be able to feel this richness. It is necessary to make use of these rich resources. The most we can expect from our farmers is to work on their farms in a good and scientifically tested way and to grow crops: they cannot do anything other than this. It is our government officials who should create the necessary mechanisms so that our farmers can do their work.
It is also necessary to work on the production of canola and olives. One of the good things that has been done by the current government is to advertise and promote the use of olives more than before. They have been trying to find a place for olives in the family food basket. This is among the good things that the current government has done. Of course, it is necessary for the country to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of rice, meat and dairy products as well. This is among the things that our government officials should do.
Agricultural education, promotion and use of the accumulated knowledge of agriculture in our universities and sending educated youth to help villagers are among the important things that need to be done. Of course, all villagers and farmers and all those who are in charge of affairs relating to agriculture are advised to welcome the involvement of these knowledgeable and educated youth in farming. I have visited certain villages where it was not possible to find one single unemployed person with a degree in agriculture. All of the agriculture graduates were working on different farms. The result was that there was incredible growth in production, a point that was also mentioned in the statements of the dear people who spoke in this meeting. It is necessary to use scientifically tested techniques.
Dear people, today your country is moving forward. The focus of today's meeting is agriculture. However, thanks to the Revolution and the Islamic Republic, we can see everywhere that there are certain movements in industry, research, politics and different scientific fields and in the introduction of new ideas. Thanks to these movements, our country will be able to bridge the gap that has been created by the enemies between our country and the advanced countries.
The movement that has started in the country is an auspicious movement, a movement that is full of hope for the future. The work that is being done by different organizations - both in the area of agriculture and in other areas - should build a firm foundation so that our government officials can feel proud at the end of the Twenty-Year Strategic Plan and say that it was them who took action to help the country achieve growth and development over twenty years. And by Allah's favor, we will achieve growth and development. By Allah's favor, our youth will see that day and this is what the arrogant enemies of the Islamic Republic are afraid of. This is the reason behind their enmity. They are concerned that our nation will achieve the peak of its civilization and civil achievements by relying on Islam. They are aware that this would be the best way to promote Islam and spirituality. They know that if our nation follows this path, it will stand in the way of their greed. Zionist and other companies want to swallow up the world. It is hard for them to see that a nation is making progress in all areas despite their will. But the Iranian nation will move forward in spite of their will and Islam will achieve a higher position. By Allah's favor, the flag of Islamic dignity will be raised in our country and in the entire world of Islam.
I ask Allah the Exalted to bestow health and happiness on all of you. I hope that you will benefit from the auspicious prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake). May all of you be successful.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings