The Minister of Agriculture is briefed on the reality of a number of poultry houses and feed and fertilizer plants in Damascus countryside

Rif Dimashq-SANA

The Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Eng. Mohamed Hassan Qatna, was briefed today on the reality of a number of poultry farms in the Al-Tal area, as well as feed and fertilizer plants in the industrial city of Adra, and met with some farmers in the Al-Rahiba area and Moadamiya Al-Qalamoun.

The demands of livestock breeders and poultry owners during their meeting with the Minister and Governor of Damascus Countryside, Engineer Moataz Abu Al-Nasr Jamran, focused on the need to support them with loans to restore their facilities and facilitate their access to production requirements such as fertilizers, feed and fuel, increase the number of wells dug to secure water, and determine the prices of products in a manner commensurate with their costs and the prices of materials This is done in coordination with the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection.

A number of owners of feed and fertilizer production plants pointed to the need to provide electricity and fuel, taking into account the high prices of raw materials and the difficulty of obtaining import licenses, especially for soybeans.

During his response to the questions and demands of breeders and factory owners, the minister explained that 100 grams of bran were allocated for each chick, in addition to providing vaccines and supporting the remaining needs of fodder, fertilizers and irrigation networks, as the ministry pays 40 percent of the equipment costs. 60% of the needs are subsidized.

The minister indicated that tenders for the purchase of soybeans are constantly announced, and the ministry's readiness to provide support and funding to anyone who wants to work and encourage private companies to invest in this sector and contract with farmers to grow the soybean crop.

In turn, the governor of Damascus countryside, Engineer Moataz Abu Al-Nasr Jamran, stated that there is a serious study of the issue of fodder and the distribution of rationed fodder and work to secure fertilizers, which constitute an obstacle to farmers, as their needs will be secured for the season of wheat, barley and fruit trees.

The Director of Agriculture in Damascus Countryside, Irfan Ziada, indicated that the number of licensed poultry houses is 823, of which 300 are currently operating. It covers the local market of meat, eggs, dairy and their derivatives, and that Rahiba covers most of Damascus’s needs of Awassi meat, as from 100,000 to 200,000 heads are raised per cycle.

The head of the Damascus Chamber of Agriculture Bashar al-Malik said that the chamber is a real partner for farmers in Qalamoun, and there is a study to buy about 300 cows and a plan to import some seeds to help breeders, and a contract will be made with the Ministry of Agriculture to grow corn for poultry so that it becomes a profit for poultry owners, and all services will be secured from irrigation networks, seeds, pesticides and a contract Agreements with indicative units for the development of this sector.

Ghassoub Abboud and Mahran Maalla