Damascus-Sana countryside
Its good storage specifications have made cumin garlic one of the most important items that families accept to purchase for mortar before it runs out of markets, in addition to the producers exporting excess quantities of it from the market need or storing them.
The heavy rains witnessed by the Al-Kiswah region in Damascus countryside during the past two years have improved the productivity and quality of garlic produced in this region in addition to increasing the areas planted with garlic in it and the surrounding areas, but the high prices of raw materials involved in the cultivation process have increased the burdens of farmers, according to the opinion of a number of them whom a delegate met Sana.
Garlic is the main crop in the Kiswah region and constitutes the main resource for many families in the region, according to Abdel Halim Nasser, the farmer. To be able to take advantage of the entire available space and grow it with this material of good economic return.
With the hardship of fasting and high temperatures during these days, the farmer Abdel Halim continues with the workers who have the process of harvesting and collecting garlic that they planted this season on an area of about 30 dunums, indicating that each dunum gives two tons of garlic in the event that it is not exposed to disease, so it needs attention, follow-up and spraying with pesticides to be It is better.
In cladding, cultivation of "municipal and Chinese" garlic is widespread, and the soil of the region is distinguished by being very suitable for this cultivation and rich in materials that give garlic an appropriate size and high quality that makes most people want to supply it, as most peasants focus on the Chinese seed in agriculture, according to the farmer Muhammed Deeb Shugal who said " We brought the Chinese seed and planted it in the soil here, so I gained better advantages than the imported Chinese seeds because of the quality of the soil and we now produce them. ”He pointed out that the farmers in the kiswa keep quantities of garlic and store it for use as seeds for the coming years and the surplus is marketed.
From the place of sorting and packing the beder, the farmer Ahmed Al-Hassan drew that after the harvest phase, garlic is collected in this place for sorting, packing, drying and marketing, considering that this stage is very important to give garlic a greater dryness and that the sorting process determines the price of garlic because it is classified according to the pill "small, medium and large".
Al-Hassan explains the difference between the two types of municipal and Chinese garlic grains: “Good seed cultivation is what gives better yield and quality .. Chinese grains are desired by restaurants because their size is large but for supplying because the municipal type is better for continuity and the same taste in both.” Calling those concerned to open external markets to export garlic for the farmer to receive He is right because the prices are not commensurate with his high cost of production.
The head of the Kiswa Agriculture Department, Engineer Hisham Al-Sayyad, explained that Kiswani garlic is distinguished from garlic grown in other regions by the percentage of dry matter in it and the possibility of storing it for longer periods, pointing out that the cultivated areas in the region during the season 2020 amounted to 1500 dunums, and the production of one dunum ranges between one and three tons of garlic.
Al-Sayyad indicated that the general lack of water levels in recent years forced farmers to go to cultivate additional areas on the Ghouta road that extends from the side of the cladding and at the end of the season the entire crop is collected, stored and marketed in the cladding, revealing that there are currently about 3000 tons of storage in the cladding.
Al-Sayyad pointed out that the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform provided the farmers with fuel and fertilizers at subsidized prices, but the farmer needs more quantities of these and help and support him in marketing his crop by setting up markets close to the places of his crops because he suffers from reaching the neighboring markets and bears the burden of high transport fares.
Al-Sayyad suggested setting up a garlic sorting and sorting facility affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture and helping the farmer to export it, knowing that a number of private companies had created garlic refrigerators with the task of storing garlic in special containers and exporting, pointing out that about 700 tons of exports were stored last year in only two facilities.
And the fisherman indicated that the price of garlic is determined according to supply and demand, and despite the occurrence of sufficient amounts of rain this season, which led to increased production, the large expenses incurred by the farmer as a result of not obtaining sufficient quantities of pesticides and fertilizers at the subsidized price and high labor wages made garlic prices high compared to the years Past.
Garlic is characterized by unique medical benefits, it increases the immunity of the body and helps to remove kidney stones, relieves episodes of renal colic and lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood.
Ambassador of Ismail
