People’s Assembly discusses Agriculture Ministry’s measures to compensate fire-affected families

DAMASCUS, (ST)- The People’s Assembly (PA) discussed during a meeting on Wednesday the performance of the Ministry of Agriculture and the measures it has taken to assist and compensate the farmers who were affected by recent fires in a number of Syrian provinces. 

During the meeting, Minister of Agriculture Mohammad Hassan Qatana said that 171 fires broke out between October 9 and 11 in the governorates of Tartous and Lattakia alone within 48 hours. He indicated that due to the large number of fires strenuous effort was needed into putting them out . 

He added that the fires were extinguished thanks to cooperation between all experts, forest workers, local councils, water resources directorates and all parties on the ground in addition to support from other Syrian provinces. He pointed out that after the fires were put out, the ministry’s concerned bodies started assessing  the damage immediately  in the affected areas. 

 The Minister made it clear that the fires destroyed a forest area of not less than 6000 hectares, including forests with rich vegetation cover, within five hours due to wind speed. He said that the total affected area amounted to about 8900 hectares planted with olives and citrus fruits trees. More than 2 million fruit trees with a production of 22 thousand tons were burned, causing the tragic loss of an annual production and a source of farmers’ livelihood for several years. 

The Minister explained that a guidance program was prepared in cooperation with the Farmers’ Union to raise the awareness of the affected families in the coastal region about how to deal with the damaged trees. 

He noted that a program was approved on Tuesday by the Cabinet to compensate the affected farmers for their loss. 

The minister reviewed the obstacles that have impeded securing requirements of agricultural production as a result of the unilateral coercive measures imposed on Syria. 

Hamda Mustafa