In 1997, the Cotton Research Institute of Iran (CRII) was established in the Northern region of Iran, Gorgan. It coordinates basic and applied researches along with the development activities on cotton in order to enhance the productivity and profitability of cotton farmers and add value to the cotton supply chain.
CRII has closely cooperated with other institutes in research, farming, industry, and technology. The main responsibilities of CRII include:
1) Development of high yielding varieties;
2) Good quality fibre and disease-resistant varieties for various regions of Iran; and
3) Improvement of seed quality and formulate the production technology for cotton under different changing climates.
To commemorate World Cotton Day, two important tasks were undertaken by the Cotton Research Institute of Iran:
1) During a speech on Saturday, October 10, in the presence of the Vice President for Science and Technology and the managers of various executive bodies, Dr Ghorban Ali Roshani, head of the Cotton Research Institute of Iran, delivered a speech in which he pointed out the importance of cotton in the economy and the need to pay more attention to this industrial products.
2) On 12 October, in the presence of the Governor of Golestan province, the Secretary of the Assembly of Representatives of Golestan Province in the National Parliament, the head of Golestan Farmer House, and owners of various factories, cotton experts and researchers: World Cotton Day was celebrated at the headquarters of the Cotton Research Institute. On this day, Dr Ghorban Ali Roshani and the governor of Golestan, separately and from his expert point of view, explained the role and importance of cotton in the agricultural economy; soil and water conservation; strengthening soil organic carbon reserves and thus ensuring sustainability of production paid off. At the end of the ceremony, the Best Cotton Farmers of the Year, retired cotton researchers and other experts were honoured with letter of appreciation and exquisite gifts.
