Agriculture Minister Emphasizes FAO’s Support to Syria

Damascus, (ST) – Agriculture Minister Ahmed al -Qadri confirmed the importance of strengthening the work between his Ministry and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations “FAO” and assessed what has been accomplished together in the past and to develop a future vision for the next phase.

During a meeting held on Thursday at the Ministry with the FAO Representative in Syria Eriko Hebbi, the Minister pointed to the support given by the FAO to the agricultural sector in Syria including “giving the productivity gifts and field activities that will contribute to the reconstruction for the advancement of agriculture, which is one of the economic pillars that achieves self-sufficiency, giving support to agricultural centers and laboratories that provide services to help farmers.”

For her part, Mrs. Hibbi noted the efforts exerted by the Ministry for “delivering productivity grants to all areas of Syria and to overcome all the difficulties of the work,” indicating that the FAO has been proactive among other donors in support the agricultural sector and giving it priority,” adding that “supporting agriculture will have an impact in the long run more than relief aid.”

She explained that the FAO “has developed a strategy to support livelihoods in Syria and continues to work to get to all farmers,” noting that through the joint cooperation with the Ministry, “it is possible to recycle the productive process and to reach to recovery phase.”

For his part, Deputy Representative of the FAO, Adam Yao, explained “stages of work of the organization in Syria in the phase and the strategy adopted to gain access to reality and aspirations for future work with the rest of the partners.”

Earlier, on the sidelines of the thirty-third session of the FAO Conference of Near East region countries in Rome, Mr. al Qadri discussed with the FAO Director of Agriculture of the United Nations,  Jose Graziano da Silva, the agricultural sector’s needs in Syria, particularly in the areas of support for strategic crops and vegetable production to ensure food security.

Sharif al Khatib