Agriculture Ministry estimates cotton production for this year at more than 13,000 tons 

The Directorate of Plant Production at the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform has estimated the cotton crop for this year at 13161 tons distributed as follows: 9518 tons in Deir Ezzour, 1475 tons in Aleppo, 929 tons in Al-Ghab area, and 19 tons in Hama.

According to Director of the Crops Department Ahmad Hameedi the process of picking cotton started at the beginning of this month. He said that 1790 tons of cotton has so far been picked on an area of 1000 hectares.

Hameedi attributed this year’s decrease in the planted area to the reduction of the level of well water, weak irrigation capacity in many irrigation projects and the acts of vandalism that targeted government irrigation lines during the terrorist war on the country.

He stressed upon the government’s efforts to support agriculture so that production can be restored to the pre-war situation.

It is to be noted that the total area planted with cotton for this year is 24211 hectares.

Hamda Mustafa