Damascus-SANA
The Central Afforestation Committee, during a meeting held today at the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, determined the location of the central celebration of the 71st Tree Festival this year at the Al-Shalouq site in the Safita region in Tartous Governorate.
The Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Engineer Mohamed Hassan Qatana, confirmed during the meeting that the tree feast continues throughout the tree planting season, but the central celebration is on Thursday at the end of each year, noting that the site chosen has an area of 20 hectares, and was attacked and burned more than once.
There is no natural renewal of trees in large parts of it, and it does not need irrigation as a result of its presence in the first settlement area, which contributes to the sustainability of the trees that will be planted, especially in light of climatic changes, pointing out that the site will be planted with forest trees suitable for the nature and environment of the region with the intensification of Foresters of neighboring sites and protection of those sites.
The minister noted the need to intervene in the Umm Al-Tawiyar site in Lattakia, with an area of 250 dunums, to reclaim and plant it, in addition to launching afforestation campaigns in multiple locations in the governorates, focusing on mountainous sites that do not need irrigation, and planting them in cooperation with unions, federations, organizations, popular and civil events and the local community.
The minister stressed the importance of planting drought-tolerant fruit trees, such as almonds, pistachios and vines, expanding their cultivation and reclamation of land in appropriate areas, setting a clear strategy for fruitful afforestation, setting technical standards in cooperation with agricultural research to plant fruit trees, and distributing and grading varieties according to the appropriate places for them.
The minister referred to the issue of interest in producing export seedlings that conform to standard specifications in terms of variety, origin and pest-free, and the selection of exemplary seedlings for their production and laying the necessary foundations for that.
The committee approved a plan to produce one million pastoral seedlings. The Director General of the General Authority for the Management, Development and Protection of the Badia, Eng. Muhammad Tammas, reviewed the reality of the work of nurseries in the municipality, the established plan, the quantity of ready-to-plant seedlings and the seed plan.
Ghassob Abboud
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