Agriculture Ministry, FAO Sign Cooperation Agreement

 Damascus, (ST) – The Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform signed here yesterday a cooperation agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to help farmers affected by forest fires in Lattakia province.

 In a statement to reporters, Agriculture Minister Eng. Ahmad Al-Qadri said that the aim of the agreement is to enhance the production capacity of 2,700 families affected by forest fires in several areas in the province late last summer, indicating that the agreement includes providing agricultural grants of vegetable seeds, olive plantations and agricultural equipment to train farmers.

  Mr. Al-Qadri explained that these grants will help farmers to resume their agricultural activities and return to the productive process and mitigate the negative effects of the fires. He pointed out that there are plans and programs between the Ministry and FAO in the coming period to help restore the agricultural sector to a better situation and overcome the difficulties experienced by this sector.

 FAO Deputy Representative Adam Yao said the one-year agreement is worth $ 422,000 for the purchase of vegetable seeds, olive saplings and agricultural equipment for distribution to farmers to help them continue the production process.

 Grants and assistance in the agricultural domain include 2,700 winter vegetables, such as beans, cabbage, onions, garlic, peas and spinach in those areas, about 2,700 vegetable planting bags, 25,000 olive trees with 9 plants per family and 42 modern irrigation systems with a pump for 42 households of the total target families with networks Irrigation damaged by fire.

 The agreement also provides targeted families with WFP food baskets in parallel with FAO support.

Sh. Kh.