Agriculture Minister Reviews Development Work in DPNER

DAMASCUS, (ST) – Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Eng. Ahmed Al- Qadri, in the presence of Minister of State for the Development Project in Northern – Eastern Region (DPNER), Najmeddine  Khreit,  and the committee concerned in the DPNER reviewed the activities carried out in the project over the past year. They also discussed the problems and difficulties hindered its progress, proposed a mechanism to overcome them and put a plan for the current year.

The minister called to coordinate the works of the project in cooperation with various relevant bodies to accomplish and evaluate the work periodically in the project and to exert efforts to improve the status of citizen in that area.
“The project, which was started by in 2008, achieved wide steps on the ground and laid important rules in the area, noting that its importance lies through the diversity of its components and the multiplicity of its services that contribute to accomplish its objectives by improving the capabilities of the society, activating its role in the sustainable development process and in mapping out development plans for the targeted villages,” the Minister of Agriculture pointed out.

“The meeting is intended to assess the achievements of the project and form the basis of the development to put strategies of work for the next phase according to a participatory approach in order to take advantage of the experience and the integration of work and in order to achieve the goal of integrated development,” Eng. Al -Qadri said.
For his part, Minister of State for the Eastern Region, Najmeddine Khreit, pointed the importance of exerting efforts for the development of the eastern region as the reservoir of Syria to secure its food basket, adding that his ministry have the powers to follow up the implementation of projects in the region and has a connection with all ministries and state institutions with respect to any project in the area.
“All ministries were asked to provide an idea of the projects and programs of work and rates of achievement, the obstacles and difficulties, indicating that rural development is one of the components for the development of that region to reach an acceptable level,” Eng. Al -Qadri added. He also stressed his willingness to cooperate with the various relevant bodies and provide the necessary support for upgrading that region through achieving sustainability of all its resources.
For his part, Director of the Development Project, Dr. Yasser Salameh, reviewed the works carried out in the project over the past year and the difficulties and problems faced the project, pointing out to the implementation of income-generating projects.

Director of the Rural Development at the ministry, Dr. Ra’ida Ayyoub, clarified that the Directorate had contributed through its work in the project to alleviate drought that hit the region where a socio-economic survey was carried out about the coming families, amounted 45, because of the drought and three work programs targeted to alleviate drought in addition to aid programs and distributing gifts, to 15453 families, of feed, seeds and sheep.

The participants recommended to establish a marketing association of buffalo products in Qamishli city and expand work with the International Center for Agriculture, implementation of modern irrigation, water harvesting in cooperation with the international organizations, implementation of 100 training units for the production of biogas and forming a joint working group of the projects funded by the International Fund for Rural Development (IFAD) to formulate a national project plan to encourage cultivation of Damascne rose.

Sh.Kh