Seminar on Reality, Future of Agriculture and Irrigation

DAMASCUS, (ST) – The Association of Economic Sciences recently held here a seminar on “Reality and Future of Agriculture and Irrigation.” The event focused on the effects of the economic and social crisis on the sectors of investment and management of water resources and agriculture.

Member of the Association of Economic Sciences, Dr. Ma’en Da’oud from the Public Authority of Agricultural Scientific Research explained that there is a combination of factors led to the deepening of the effects of weaknesses in the sectors of water and agriculture.

“The most important impacts are the irrational planning of natural resources particularly water and the absence of the principle of participatory in the management of the two sectors in addition to the rapid deterioration in the direct economic revenue of the two sectors and the decline of the role of science and scientific research,” he added.

Dr. Da’oud clarified that the direct impact of the crisis appeared in the decline of most crops and agricultural products at the national level, either components of the food basket, or those that form one of the national industries inputs, whereas the production of cotton, delivered to the government, dropped largely.

“Recovering from the current crisis in this area could be through restructuring the agricultural economy and the sector of water supply, the work on the development of the institutional structure and the adoption of the principle of management by objectives in all institutions of the sectors of water resources and agriculture,” he explained.

 It is important to reconsider agricultural productivity plans, strengthening the role of spatial regional planning, completion of the public water plan in Syria with its nature -based research components, depending on using the sector research products. It is necessary to switch to modern irrigation and assess its performance and its products on the background of the results of scientific research sector,” Dr. Da’oud suggested.

The participants underlined the need to develop policies of irrigation and agricultural sectors and how to create the right conditions to get out of the current crisis the least damage, remove the causes and their effects in order to prevent occurring similar structural economic, social crises in the future.

Sharif el -Khatib