سید مرتضی زاهدی

Palms are considered the symbol of desert and they probably originated from Iraq and Iran. Due to its high tolerance in difficult climatic conditions, planting this tree has increased in warm areas all over the world during the recent years. The main regions for producing this fruit are the Middle East and north of Africa. Iran is one of the main date producing countries in the world. There are more than 200 varieties of date in Iran, the most important of which are Estameran, Shahani, Mazafati, Barhee, and Piaram. The palm tree is a multipurpose plant and various parts of the tree are used as food, medicine, and in industry. Despite high production of date in Iran, a large amount of this product is wasted due to lack of packaging and processing.