Hama.. Demand for the cultivation of the Damascene rose and the crop increased

Hama-Sana

The village of Ma’ar al-Saleeb in the Masyaf area in the western Hama countryside is witnessing during this period the harvest of the Damascene rose, whose cultivated areas have increased significantly in recent years until it has become one of the most important crops in the village and has achieved a remunerative return for its producers, especially as it enjoys a reputation and good demand for it both locally and abroad.

SANA During her visit to the orchards of the Damascene rose in the village and meeting with a number of farmers, the farmer Ahmed Shahla explained that he started cultivating this rose about 20 years ago and is constantly expanding in its areas and he currently has more than 15 dunums planted there, where he now owns a center for selling Damascene roses and supplies dozens of villages In the jungle and Masyaf regions.

Cultivation of the Damascene rose is easy and simple, according to Shahla’s description, as it blooms from the first season and gives a production per acre ranging between 10 and 15 kg of dried roses, while the production increases in the second year to become from 50 to 75 kg of dried roses in fertile lands, pointing out that the association was declared Friends of the Roses in the village of Ma’rin al-Saleeb, which includes 30 founding members, and its most important goals are to increase the area planted with the Damascene rose and to promote it and its products.

With the early hours of the morning, the farmer Hammam Ibrahim sets out with his family to harvest the rose crop, which he began to cultivate a few years ago and is still continuing to expand the cultivated area according to his description, which has now reached 2 dunams due to the great benefit and feasibility of growing the Damascene rose, whose products are numerous, such as rose water, jam and rose syrup. It is witnessing great demand and demand in the market, which encouraged many to expand its cultivation area, especially since the lands of the region are very suitable for this specific crop.

“The queen of roses and its appearance gives a special aesthetic” is a sentence in which Zainab Munif, one of the workers in the cultivation of the Damascene rose and its products, expressed her passion for working in reaping the crop of this product after months of care and attention, pointing out that the best times for picking the Damascene rose are with the early morning hours, starting from five until Nine in the morning in order to make the most of its productive advantages.

The farmer Medhat Suleiman called for “considering the Damascene rose as a fruitful tree in order to be able to withdraw a loan that enables him to purchase a distillation device to separate the oil from the rose water, or to buy seedlings to expand the cultivated area or other multiple productive requirements for the Damascene rose,” as well as the need for farmers to expand the circle of local and foreign exchange markets for their products, as he put it.

The cultivation of the Damascene Rose is characterized by high economic and medical feasibility, according to the talk of Akram Afif, an agricultural development expert, who pointed out the need to direct support to farmers by government and private agencies in the field of securing equipment, seedlings and land reclamation to develop development projects and interest in the cultivation and manufacture of Damascene Rose products.

In turn, Ashraf Bakir, Director of Hama Agriculture, stressed the directorate’s keenness to provide full support to all farmers of the Damascene Rose due to its strategic importance as an important productive crop, pointing out that the Hama agricultural nursery produces Damascene seedlings and gives them to farmers at a subsidized price, in addition to training courses for farmers implemented by agricultural guidance in the regions on how to Take advantage of the various products of the Damascene Rose.

Abdullah Al Sheikh and Suhad Hassan

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