Deir Ezzor-SANA
The Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Eng. Muhammad Hassan Qatna, was briefed during a field tour today to Deir Ezzor governorate about the areas planted with strategic crops, and the problems and difficulties that the agricultural process suffers in general, in addition to the reality of livestock in the governorate.
Minister Qatna's tour included a visit to the field school, the food processing center in the Al-Baghilia neighborhood, the adoption center for fodder, and a meeting with a number of sheep breeders and farmers in the cotton and corn fields, in addition to holding an expanded meeting for the agricultural council in the governorate.
The farmers’ demands focused on securing production requirements such as fertilizers and fuels, securing irrigation water and electric motors to draw irrigation water from the Euphrates River, helping in insect control of crops, treating cotton seed germination rates, establishing a corn dryer in the governorate, and increasing the allocations of rationed fodder in light of the scarcity of pastures.
Engineer Qatna explained that the ministry is working to return agricultural lands in the areas liberated from terrorism to the production process and to include it in the agricultural plan and to provide support and production requirements to farmers in those areas to help them continue and settle in their villages and lands, pointing out that all production requirements have been secured.
Qatna indicated that the support for the prices of production requirements will be around 15 percent of their market price, stressing that the General Foundation for Feed will receive all the quantities produced from the yellow corn crop within certain humidity conditions and at popular prices, pointing out that the government price the cotton crop at 2500 pounds per kilogram, which is a good price. It generates profitable profits for farmers and encourages agriculture.
The Minister of Agriculture noted that the available quantities of fuel are secured to irrigate these crops in cooperation with the fuel committee in the governorate, indicating that all expenses incurred by the farmer will be noted during the setting of crop prices.
In a statement to reporters, Minister Qatana stated that the aim of the tour is to listen to the farmers’ demands and suggestions, noting that the ministry developed the agricultural plan at an early stage so that we can identify the needs that are being secured and we explained to the farmers what should be done to ensure a bumper crop.
In turn, Deir Ezzor Governor Fadel Najjar confirmed that the governorate is doing everything possible to support the agricultural sector, which returned to production after liberating the governorate from terrorism and providing production requirements, especially the restarting of the third and fifth irrigation sectors, which introduced large areas to the production process, pointing out that work is being done on the rehabilitation of The seventh sector, which contributes to the stability and return of the people to their lands and homes.