A qualitative project for the cultivation of the Damascene rose in Lattakia

Within the framework of carrying out projects in the fire-affected areas in Lattakia province , the Syrian Trust for Development, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, the Peasants’  Union and the Arab Center for the Studies of  Arid Zones and Dry Lands  “ACSAD”, is working on a project to plant the Damascene rose in the mountainous areas of Lattakia countryside.

The first stage  of this project started from the village of  “Qala’atAl-Mahalba”  Castle in the countryside of Qardaha, where about 12,000 seedlings were  distributed free of charge to farmers in the village in support of the families affected by the fires during the past year.

Expert Dr. Ali Sa’adat at ACSAD said  to SANA that the cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Syrian Trust for Development and the Farmers’ Union aims to spread quality crops, including the Damascene Rose.

He pointed out that Lattakia was chosen due to the damage caused to farmers by fires, especially in the high mountainous areas, where the  conditions are suitable for  planting rose bushes, which result  in a high economic return.

The expert  noted that the economic return of the Damascene rose is  in the production of rose oil and rose water, which can be exported to a number of Arab and foreign countries at good prices, in addition to their use in  many local industries, especially food, such as sweets, jams and other products.

He referred to  the possibility of using rose water to purify domestic water tanks as  is the case with the people of the village of Al-Marah in the countryside of Damascus, where the cultivation of this rose is widespread.

The Director of the Botanical Administration at ACSAD  Dr. Walid Al-Taweel pointed out that the Damascene rose provides remunerative economic benefits to farmers and is suitable for small agricultural holdings, indicating that  ACSAD  provides the necessary technical expertise,  trains farmers in the field of agriculture to reach the stage of productivity and spares no effort to put  all its capabilities at the disposal of this project.

Al-Taweel indicated that the project includes several stages , the first of which is the planting of about 12,000 seedlings in the village of “Qala’at al-Mahalba”, which was previously exposed to large fires.

He said a team of experts  and technicians visited the mentioned village and trained  farmers how to deal with the seedlings of Damascene rose  and get the economic benefit.

Al-Taweel referred to the existing cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Syrian Trust for Development and the  Peasants’ Union in the fields  of providing  families with crops of  economic returns such as  the village of Talat in the countryside of Tartous for the production of saffron.

He indicated to the  cooperation in the fields  of spreading honey apiaries, especially in the coastal region, which are ideal areas for the production of  fine  honey .

Director of Agriculture in Lattakia Basem Douba stressed the  importance of the project in supporting and cultivating the Damascene Rose and spreading  in the appropriate areas in Lattakia as a way of replanting  the  fire-affected areas  with pioneering crops of  economic returns.

Douba pointed out that the directorate, through its nurseries for the production of the Damascene rose seedling, is able to double the production of the plant by dozens of times according to the development of the experience and the quantities needed for the project.

He stressed  that the directorate is ready to provide experiences and training to the local community in the fields  of raising efficiency  and enabling the farmer to sell the product and achieve the primary benefit of this cultivation.

RawaaGhanam