Lattakia-Sana
In Lattakia Governorate, the work of reclaiming agricultural lands, constructing agricultural roads, and opening fire lines in areas affected by fires is continuing within a mechanism that allows the investment of all possible mechanisms for this purpose while continuing to distribute compensation dues to the affected farmers.
The Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Eng. Muhammad Hassan Qatna, stressed during his tour today on a number of sites of importance that the ministry attaches to restoring forest sites to their previous state, restoring vegetation cover as it was, and restoring biological diversity in each site to its natural characteristics, indicating that the focus will be on planting laurel trees, carob trees and plants. Flowering forests to be less vulnerable in the future to fires and constitute a natural pasture for bees and natural insects.
He pointed out that work on re-afforestation of the damaged lands is done in parallel with the payment of compensation dues to farmers, which will continue to be paid at the end of this month according to a program, after which, as of January 1, 2019, the distribution of fruit plants to farmers whose trees died as a result of the fires will begin.
During the tour, the Minister Qatna met with engineers and workers in the extension units in Zaghrine and Balouran, heads of agricultural societies and a number of farmers, with the aim of determining the appropriate mechanism to organize the work of the extension units, avoid observations about it, and activate communication with farmers.
In a statement to the SANA correspondent, the minister considered that the aim of this is to reorganize the extension work, starting with the Agricultural Extension Directorate in the ministry, reaching the extension units, which can be reflected within months with the aim of achieving better communication and creating automated scientific programs.
After that, the mechanism for paying compensation to farmers was examined, which, according to the Director of Agriculture, Engineer Munther Khair Bey, amounted to more than 4,385 billion pounds distributed over 7,086 farmers in 69 villages in the four regions of the province.
Latakia Governor Ibrahim Khader Al-Salem participated in the tour.
