Agricultural Sector Development Forum highlights present situation and future of agricultural production in Syria

The first session of the Agricultural Sector Development Forum titled “Challenges and Opportunities”, discussed the current situation of the Agricultural sector, the future vision to enhance its performance, the role of farmers’ association in boosting the agricultural production and the role that can be played by specialized unions and international organizations in the development of Syria’s agricultural sector.

Minister of Agriculture Mohammad Hassan Qatana stressed the need to reach a strategy for organizing and developing agricultural production and cooperative investment.

He noted the relative advantage of the Syrian agricultural sector given the country’s strategic position and diverse agricultural and climatic environments, clarifying that benefitting from this advantage and applying the programs of agricultural scientific research will support economic and agricultural development in Syria. He pointed out that the agricultural lands in Syria extend to an area of 18.5 million hectares.

 The session focused on the role the Federation and the Chambers of Agriculture in supporting micro-enterprises and supporting small farmers in order to secure a source of income for families affected by terrorism and to establish many programs for building the capacity of farmers and agricultural technicians.

Hamda Mustafa