Agricultural investment of Medicinal Plants

DAMASCUS, (ST) – Participants in a workshop organized by the Syrian Investment Agency(SIA) and in cooperation with the Federation of Chambers of Agriculture focused recently on agricultural investment of medicinal and aromatic plants and the economic importance of the Damascene Rose.

The participants discussed the economic importance of medicinal and aromatic plants and ways of developing and training personnel working in this area, the Damascene Rose and its cultivation and the use of essential oils in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

The participants noted the importance of conducting a comprehensive survey of medicinal and aromatic plants in Syria and the formation of a national team to map out the agricultural plans,increase the cultivated areas, provide banking facilities to farmers, manufacturers, direct rural families to this agriculture taking into consideration  the strategic importance of these plants.

They also called for the need to adopt the principle of participatory with the private sector in the production and distillation and marketing of products.

In an opening speech, the Director of the SIA Hala Ghazal stressed the importance of the workshop in communication with all employees of the aromatic plants sector, including agriculture, industry and export areas to focus light on production chain in order to enhance this sector to the desired level, pointing out the availability of the elements of the proper cultivation of aromatic plants, labor and marketing channels.

For his part, President of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Agriculture Mohammed Kashto stressed the need to activate investment in the field of aromatic plants and flowers “and to create a mechanism for the development of this sector and to increase investment areas, noting that this promising sector has sufficient ingredients to contribute to national income.”

For his part, Director General of the Development Authority and Export Promotion Ihab Ismander stressed that the workshop contribute to the emphasis on Syrian products enjoy a competitive advantage in the global market and access to foreign markets, which could generate additional jobs and achieve significant economic return.

Sh. al Khatib