Appropriate climate and valuable agricultural potentials alongside the Aras River have made it possible for Aras Free Zone to be considered as the country's agricultural tourism hub by training and management.
This region is one of the most successful free zones in Iran, which is one of the leading areas in the field of export, import, tourism, services and technology; and the development of agricultural activities alongside industry and tourism has been one of its main approaches.
Exports of agricultural commodities are accounted for the largest share of the province's total exports, with 13.5 percent after metals, which these capacities are needed to be identified and supported.
The Gordian plain which is 1800 hectares, is one of the suitable fields for the production of horticultural products that also have the capacity of exporting goods and can be a source of income for farmers in the region.
1421 hectare of these fields are allocated for the cultivation of (apricots, grapes, pistachios, cherries, hazelnuts, apples and other mixed crops) and 412 hectares more for cultivation of (alfalfa, fodder corn and vegetable patches alongside wheat and barley). And about twenty thousand tons of different kinds of horticultural products are produced in this plain. It is also worth mentioning that the plain has the potential to create employment for about 1560 native people in the region.
The Golfaraj Plain, with an area of 12450 hectares, is one of the important projects of the agricultural sector of Aras Free Zone and the province as well, which has been used to maximize the water potential of the country's border rivers.
An important part of Aras Free Zone agricultural exports is greenhouse production. The existence of 140 hectares of greenhouse sites in the area and the activity of 41 greenhouse units indicate the importance of this industry in the region and its increasing success.
Aras Greenhouse Complex with an area of 140 hectares is located in the city of Jolfa near the Aras River. Initial studies of the complex were carried out in the year 2007 and after the preparation of the infrastructure the commissioning of components began in the year 2011. The complex consists of 102 lots and the average area of each one is about 5,000 square meters.
According to Economic and Investment Deputy Director of Aras Free Zone, the amount of greenhouse crops in 2017 was 50 hectares, which it reached 73 hectares in 2018. And by this year it is supposed to reach 90 hectares and another 160 hectares will be added to cultivation of Aras greenhouse products.
In this regard, Safar Shafsand told the reporter of Economics 24 that the largest amount of investment in the Aras Free Zone was dedicated to agriculture, and agriculture in the Khodafarin zone has had the most development.