Latakia-SANA
The head of the olive cultivation department in the Jableh Department of Agriculture, Engineer Ahmed Al-Hoshi, said that the irrigated area planted with olives is estimated at about 61,000 dunums, and includes more than 3.8 million trees, of which 3.5 million are fruitful trees, the vast majority of which are planted in rainforests.
Al-Hoshi indicated in a statement to the SANA Economic Bulletin that the olive production is subject to the “floating system” and varies from one region to another according to the terrain, altitude above sea level, soil type, water nutrition and wind direction. Estimated initial production is about 45,313 tons.
On the method of harvesting the olive crop, extracting the oil and benefiting from its residues, Al-Hoshi explained that after the completion of the olive harvest process, it is loaded into a modern press to separate the oil, which is filled with 20-liter containers, and the resulting water “peat” is collected in basins to be used in irrigation operations.
He pointed out to avoid wasting it in streams and rivers to prevent groundwater pollution. As for the organic residues resulting from the pressing processes, which include “seeds, fruit covers and leaves,” which are called “palms.” Natural organic.
For his part, the Director of the Department of Agriculture in Jableh, Eng. Basil Diop, pointed out a number of obstacles facing olive cultivation and harvesting, including the high costs of the requirements of the agricultural process such as “plowing - pruning - harvesting the crop” and the difficulty of providing the fuel needed to carry out these operations, in addition to its exposure to delinquent diseases such as the eye of the peacock and the high costs of control and operations olive age
And he indicated that the lands planted with olives within the Jableh area and its countryside are small and scattered holdings that suffer from the lack of adequate agricultural roads to them, which hinders the implementation of the necessary services for the tree.
Marina basement
SANA Economic Bulletin
