Daraa-Latakia-SANA
The head of the Plant Production Department in the Daraa Agriculture Directorate, Eng. Wael Al-Ahmad, stated that the total area planted with olives is 22,902 hectares, with a total number of trees of 4.7 million, of which more than 3.7 million trees are in the fruiting stage.
In a statement to SANA reporter, Al-Ahmad indicated that production estimates for the current season amount to 19.5 thousand tons of olive fruits, while production was about 75 thousand tons before the crisis period.
Al-Ahmad said that olive cultivation spreads in most areas of the governorate. The Directorate of Agriculture provides farmers with agricultural guidance services and opens every year training schools for olive growers that include how to provide basic services that contribute to achieving high productivity of olives and oil, pointing out that affiliated nurseries sell guaranteed plants to citizens at prices symbolism.
In turn, the head of the Agricultural Extension Department in the directorate, Eng. Muhammad Al-Shahadat, said in a similar statement that the department, through agricultural extension services, field days and specialized seminars, is working to familiarize farmers with the principle of integrated olive management to optimally deal with the crop in terms of irrigation, fertilization, pruning, and pest control.
The reason for the decline in the production of the olive crop in Daraa compared to the years before the crisis, according to farmers, is the high costs of production requirements and their unavailability, in addition to the phenomenon of floating, some diseases and the drought wave. .
In Lattakia, the head of the Department of Fruitful Trees in the Directorate of Agriculture, Engineer Imran Ibrahim, estimated the production of about 210 thousand tons of olive fruits, which bodes well for an abundant production of oil.
Ibrahim said in a statement to SANA reporter that preparations are underway for the olive harvest season, and the directorate will determine the appropriate date to start harvesting the crop, calling on farmers to follow up in the current period the rate of olive fruit fly infections and to suspend traps with attracting materials that are distributed free of charge by agriculture.
Ibrahim advised farmers to adhere to the correct picking instructions through manual combs, to separate the fallen fruits from the ones that are harvested, not to squeeze the two types together, and the fruits to be transported using plastic boxes and not to delay the pressing process, in addition to keeping the oil in insulated containers with tin to preserve its quality.
Firas Zarda - Qasim Miqdad
SANA Economic Bulletin
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