Syria’s wealth of Levantine camel decreasing…Government intensifies efforts to save it

The number of camels in Syria is decreasing day by day, so that the need for government attention to this important wealth is more urgent than ever before.

But why is it decreasing!?

Director of the Camel Research and Development Center at the Scientific Agricultural Research Authority, Dr. Shadi Alisha, confirmed to (Tishreen) News Paper that the Syrian crisis and the general economic situation had a negative impact on camel herds, because they decreased greatly as old breeders abandoned camel breeding due to the lack of grazing areas, especially in the desert, as some of these areas got out of control due to the presence of terrorists there, which caused the majority of the camels going in to slaughter and consumption, in addition to the theft of government camel stations during the crisis, which led to a sharp decrease in their number. He indicated that relying on intensive breeding within stations and barns leads to spread of diseases, as is the case in sheep and cow barns.

What efforts the center made to save the Levantine camel spicies?

Alisha explained the main role of the research center in preserving the genetic origins of the Levantine camels, the number of which is 136 at the Deir al-Hajar research station, and in improving the breed of this spicies in terms of milk and meat production, pointing to the existence of research experiments by organizations, master’s and doctoral students with the aim of reaching a herd with a high productivity of milk and meat. In addition, he said, the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands  (ACSAD) also conducts nutritional, fattening and vaccination experiments for all categories of camels.

Alisha also praised future camel research projects and efforts to develop a strategy to reach a spicies that produces milk and meat according to a short-term work plan for five years and a medium-term plan for ten years, while preserving the lineage of Levantine camels as the center’s most important goal. He added: “We are not a production station, but rather a research station that works to deepen studies on camel meat and milk, medically and industrially, and procedures in the field of reproduction and vaccination.”

The challenges to save the  Levantine camel spicies in Syria:

The camel spicies in Syria, the Arab countries and Central Asia are similar in that they are single-humped. This wealth in Syria currently suffers from the difficulty of securing fodder, the lack of compound fodder materials, and their weak qualitative nutritional value.

He stressed the need to secure sufficient fodder supplies through the Fodder Foundation.

Alisha called for the preservation of Levantine camels by ensuring production requirements, as the research stations suffer from lack of sufficient staff and manpower, including technicians, workers, specialist engineers, and veterinary doctors.

Weak capabilities, smuggling, and lack of pasture areas are behind the significant decline

The number of camels in Syria, according to the statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture in 2010, reached more than 50 thousand, and in 2019 the number reached 40 thousand, distributed in Homs, Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Al-Hasakah ,the Damascus countryside, and Al-Suwayda desert, while right now the number does not exceed half of this number due to the lack of pastures and the difficulty of securing fodder and due to intendive smuggling operations into Jordan and some of it to Iraq, Muwaffaq Abdel Rahim, the former director of the research center and the current agricultural expert in (ACSAD), explained to “Tishreen” Newspaper.

The importance and benefits of camel meat

Alisha continued that the camel today, after its price has risen to more than 25 million Syrian Pounds, constitutes an important wealth, especially camel milk, which is considered as a pharmacy in itself due to its medical and therapeutic specifications, in addition to the great benefits in raising immunity, tackling incurable diseases, diabetes, viral liver disease, heart disease, and others.

Leen Al Salman