Rural and Agricultural Development Forum and Exhibition open in Lattakia

 The Rural and Agricultural Development Forum and Exhibition opened on Sunday at “Nismet Jabal” resort in Qerdaha, Lattakia in the presence of Minister of Agriculture Hassan Qatna and with the participation of a number of industrial and agricultural institutions and the local community.

Qatana stressed that this important forum is held within one of the cultural tourist sites which constitutes a tourist attraction that can be invested significantly in reviving the region and promoting eco-tourism activities. He affirmed the need to exert concerted efforts to achieve a unified future vision for the region that contributes to reaching a prosperous rural community with diversified economic activity and that preserves its cultural identity and tangible and intangible heritage, and whose residents enjoy a better standard of living and quality life.

Qatna said that in the light of the crises that Syria has experienced, including the terrorist war, the economic blockade, the Corona pandemic and the February earthquake, the most important path of the future policy has become paying attention to agriculture, rural development, local production, and achieving food security, which constitutes the first line of defense against various crises.

The forum included an exhibition for rural and agricultural development. The exhibition showcased rural and agricultural products such as oils, soaps, perfumes, cosmetic and natural medical products, natural fertilizers, rural women’s products such as dairy, cheese and popular foods, various types of bee products, beekeepers’ supplies, types of fish, and some handicrafts such as pottery and woolen paper works. In addition, the forum displayed posters about some rural projects that have been successful in the field of soil revitalization, rationalization of water consumption, and maximum benefit from bees in the therapeutic and medicinal fields.

Rawaa Ghanam/Hamda Mustafa