Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with Farmers

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

First of all, I congratulate the week of agricultural jihad to all of you dear farmers, and indeed to all the people of Iran. Meeting with the hardworking individuals in the agricultural sector - considering the importance of this sector for the present and future of this country - is a significant meeting for me. Good points were also expressed; both what these four exemplary farmers said was sweet and heartwarming for me, and it reflected a beautiful collection of self-confidence, hope for the future, tireless and courageous effort, while relying on God Almighty; and the points mentioned by the esteemed minister were completely correct and indicate that the organization responsible for agricultural affairs, with prudence and consideration of various aspects of the work, God willing, is seeking to organize this important issue in the country anew. I would like to say one sentence to the farmers and one sentence to the managers of the agricultural sector.

My message to you dear farmers and to all farmers across the country is that the work you have undertaken is not a small task. Even a farmer working on one or five hectares of land in a remote area of the country is, in his own way, elevating one of the fundamental pillars of life in this country. Be careful that agriculture is not belittled; agriculture is very important and has dignity. The value that has been expressed in the sacred Islamic law for the farming class stems from the significance of this work. What do you do? You extract the divine treasures - which are in the particles, in the soil, and are made fruitful by sunlight and natural factors - using the God-given blessings of land and water, so that the people living on this earth may survive. If there is no food, there is no life; and you provide food for humanity; thus, the greatness and value of this work is a natural value and akin to intrinsic value. Today, our country - which is the target of the malice and hatred of the world's bullies; the reason for this animosity is that this country is unwilling to submit to the tyranny of the bullies - needs food security more than ever, so that it does not depend on other countries for its bread, for its daily sustenance, for its oil, for its meat; it should not be dependent on those who can demand its dignity in exchange for this gift; food security is very important for our country. Last year, when it was announced that the country had achieved self-sufficiency in wheat, I truly considered it a great celebration for this country. I sincerely thanked the farmers, the managers of the agricultural sector, and the knowledgeable youth who assisted in this work; undoubtedly, the nation also expressed its gratitude; this was a significant event. Men and youths endeavored to make this happen, and it did. We are the same country that, during the era of tyranny, had our agricultural foundation shaken to make us dependent; to create a market for their wheat and other agricultural products - foreigners. With this population increase - today our country has more than double the population it had at the beginning of the revolution - if we were to be dependent on foreigners for wheat as we were in their day, for every ton of wheat they provided us, a heavy burden of humiliation would be placed on the shoulders of this nation; they could cut it off whenever they wished; however, our nation has achieved self-sufficiency in wheat. The same must occur for other essential food products; in rice, in oil, in meat, in dairy products, which are the needs of the country. The country must not be dependent on others at all, and the people must know that you, the farming and livestock class, with your zeal, your faith, and your determination, provide their food, and the people should not feel the need to request from others; neither to pay money, nor to bear burdens, nor to constantly worry in their hearts that if a problem arises due to a political issue or otherwise, what should we do? The Iranian farmer provides food security for the Iranian nation; this is a great honor; appreciate yourselves. I mention this so that throughout the country, the youth in agricultural regions, who are sometimes attracted to other professions, know that the value, dignity, and impact of this profession is higher than most other professions in the collective life of their nation, and there is room for expansion.

Today is no longer the day when a farmer would work on a part of the land for thirty or forty years and yield a handful of wheat; no, today new techniques, new knowledge, and new experiences have entered the field. You see that an average yield of four tons of wheat can be raised by a diligent individual to eleven or twelve tons per hectare; the same has happened in rice, olives, and canola. It is no longer the case that the region is limited. Young people should enter, receive the necessary training; those who can should pursue the necessary education in soil, water, and various agricultural issues, and then engage with this blessed land and extract its divine blessings; this work is possible. Other institutions must also assist. This was the point I wanted to convey to you farmers. Your work is significant and important; important on a national scale. If we look correctly, considering the importance of the Islamic Republic system and this raised flag of Islam in this land, your work is important on an international scale. Value this work and thank God for granting you such success; progress in this work day by day, and young people, at least the young people from those families and other young people who have studied in this field and have interest and enthusiasm, should join the ranks of our numerous farmers.

Officials must look at the agricultural sector with this perspective, with the perspective of "importance". The agricultural sector is a main axis in the administration of the country; and it must be viewed with this eye in organizing university knowledge, in budget allocation, in appointing capable and competent individuals at the head of affairs; the agricultural matter should not be taken lightly in the country. Of course, industry is also important, and when we emphasize agriculture, we do not negate industry; it is another essential axis for the country's progress; however, the various attractions and the glitter and fame of other sectors should not overshadow the importance of this very important sector; the main artery of community life is in this sector, and the real and tangible life of society - social life - finds more meaning in this sector; because here the issue of food and the issue of food security and the issue of independence stemming from food security and self-sufficiency are raised; this is the first point, that officials should look at the agricultural issue with this perspective. This perspective - as we said - affects universities, in the university sectors related to agriculture, in organizing courses, in admitting students, in addressing professors, and in the various services that the government can provide to farmers; such as those related to banks, those related to the management and planning organization, those related to the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad itself.

The second point for officials is that in agricultural work, just as your name is agricultural jihad, move with a jihadist spirit. Since the beginning of the revolution, every major task we have been able to accomplish has been due to self-confidence, ambition, and jihadist work. The youth of the construction jihad began great works in this country at a time when even those who witnessed these great works could not believe that the Iranian youth were capable of such tasks. During the tyrannical regime, they bought wheat from America and the Russians built the silos for them; they could not even build the silos themselves! The Russians had to come; this industry did not exist in Iran. In the early years of the revolution, these university jihadists came and said that the Imam had ordered the people to plant wheat; well, wheat requires silos; whose door should we knock on, except for our own door of determination and innovation; they began. People saw that this silo was rising - of course, at first, with a small capacity - but they could not believe it! And today our country is one of the leading countries in silo construction in the world; thanks to these youths. Jihadist work is this. In every sector of industry, technical, scientific, and research that we entered with a jihadist spirit, we have progressed. What does a jihadist spirit mean? It means believing that "we can"; and working tirelessly and unflaggingly and utilizing all existing capacities and mental resources and trusting the youth. Right now, in the very field of nuclear energy that has alarmed the entire world of global arrogance, most of those working there are educated youths; hundreds of young, educated individuals are turning this wheel and have created this dignity for the country. It is the same in all sectors. Trust the talented forces, whether they are young or experienced individuals. Trusting these individuals and relying on God Almighty and sincerity of intention for God is the foundation of work. Agricultural jihad must act in the true sense of the word for the agricultural issues of the country and livestock and the other tasks that fall under this ministry.

The third issue is that we tell our farmers to strive to create food security for the country; but we tell our officials that this is not the end of the work; we must become exporters of these products; we must be able to benefit others. This work is the responsibility of various governmental agencies to provide the means; we can.

They constantly talk about our water scarcity; well, yes, we know our country is not one of the water-rich countries; but are we making optimal use of the water we have today? The answer is negative. This is part of the work of the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad and the various governmental ministries and agencies to educate on how to use water, regulate water flow in various sectors, and preserve the same amount of water from the blessed heavenly rains, with various methods that are common in the world today, should be included in the tasks.

Therefore, our country is not one of the water-rich countries, but the amount of water we have is capable of irrigating agricultural products. We are also in the same situation regarding land. I have read in reports that today we have just over eighteen million hectares of arable land; in various sectors: rain-fed, irrigated, orchards, etc., this amount can be increased to thirty million hectares; that is, nearly double. In some areas of this country - in the travels I have made - I have seen lands that can be transformed into arable lands with "work". We have many resources in this country. We are a truly rich country, and the people must feel this "richness"; they must utilize this wealth. We can tell the farmer to work well and scientifically on this land and produce crops; he has nothing else at his disposal; but it is the responsibility of the officials to design the system for this work.

Work should also be done on oilseeds and canola or olives. One of the good works of this government is that they want to promote olives as much as possible; to include them in the people's food basket, which is a very good initiative. Of course, the country must certainly achieve self-sufficiency in rice and meat and dairy products; this is among the tasks that government officials must undertake. The agricultural education sector and the promotion and utilization of existing knowledge in our universities and sending young people to assist the villagers are among the very important tasks. Of course, all villagers and farmers and those involved in agriculture are advised to welcome these knowledgeable and expert youths in agriculture. I have observed closely in some villages that knowledgeable and educated young people in agriculture had not remained unemployed! All had engaged in work in the fields, and the result was that that area experienced extraordinary growth in agricultural production, which you heard about in the statements of these dear individuals. Scientific methods must be utilized.

My dear ones! Today your country is a country moving forward. These words pertain to agriculture; but we observe movements in industry, in research, in politics, in various fields of science, in creating new issues, everywhere, thanks to the revolution and the Islamic Republic system, that the country will be able to fill the deep gap that the enemies have created between this country and advanced countries. The current movement of the country is a blessed movement; a movement full of hope and looking to the future. The work that various agencies are doing, whether in this sector - the agricultural sector - or in other sectors, should be a solid rule so that after twenty years - when the twenty-year vision document period is over - they can feel proud and say we were the ones who devised these measures, and today, after twenty years, the country has reached this growth and elevation; which we will reach, God willing. Our youth - you - will see that day, God willing; and the arrogant enemies of the Islamic Republic are afraid of this, and the reason for their enmity is the same. They are worried that a country, a nation, can reach this great peak of civil life and civilizational honors by adhering to Islam; because they know that this is the best promoter of Islam and the best promoter of spirituality; they know that if this nation follows this path, it will put an end to their greed and excesses. The usurping Zionist companies and others want to plunder the world; they find it hard to see a nation advancing in all sectors against their claims; but despite them, the Iranian nation will move forward, and the dear Islam will stand taller than it is, and God willing, the flag of Islamic dignity will be raised high by this nation and all the Islamic world.

I pray to God Almighty for the health and happiness of all of you, and I hope you will be included in the prayers of the pure soul of the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him), and God willing, may you all be successful.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.