Damascus - SANA
The General Establishment for Fodder estimated the production of areas planted with corn for this year at about 500,000 tons, which is a quantity produced for the first time in Syria, where production before the years of the terrorist war was between 280 and 300,000 tons, according to Eng. Abdul Karim Shabat, Director General of the Establishment.
In a statement to SANA correspondent, Shabat explained that since the beginning of this year, farmers have been encouraged to plant this crop, which is considered essential in securing fodder materials, whether corn or shoots, due to the scarcity of fodder material, the need for large quantities of it, and the high bill for importing fodder materials from Abroad and depletion of foreign exchange.
February pointed out that about 55,000 hectares have been cultivated, which constitutes half of the areas that were cultivated before the years of the terrorist war on Syria, but as a result of the use of improved varieties with high productivity and a large vegetative group, the current estimates have been reached, which save millions of pounds for the treasury in addition to A vegetable total estimated at about one million and 500 thousand tons also provides billions of pounds, as a minimum for importing these quantities, indicating that this production contributed to feeding the livestock herd, and securing the fodder material for it by 70 to 80 percent.
Chabat pointed out that the Foundation is facing difficulties, including the systematic and complete destruction of the dryers belonging to the Foundation in Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, and Aleppo by terrorist organizations, and the Foundation’s inability to purchase new dryers, especially since the quantities of production this year need a large number of dryers. He called on investors to invest in this sector, and to secure dryers for the next season, and there are great facilities for those who wish to establish dryers through financing and allocating land.
Although it does not have dryers, Shabat affirmed that the Foundation will receive the entire crop, and it will buy any quantity offered to it, regardless of its size, within the required specifications, at a remunerative price of 2,000 pounds per kilogram.
February pointed out that with the increase in the harvest rate, the price decreased to 1,400 pounds, so the Foundation resorted, in order to protect the farmers, to specify the terms of receipt, as the percentage of impurities was raised from 5 to 8 and then to 12 percent, and the specific weight was reduced from 69 to 67 and then To 63, and the fraction is 10 percent, which forced merchants to raise the price to 1,800 pounds.
Shabat said: At the beginning of the harvest, 2,700 tons were received, including 1,000 tons in Aleppo, about 1,000 tons in Raqqa, about 500 tons in the Al-Ghab Plain, and other quantities from Deir Ezzor, and that the receiving operations are continuing from farmers, and not from merchants or other sources. , and the institution is ready to receive the entire crop.
Regarding the pricing mechanism, February confirmed that corn was priced according to the full cost at the price of the private sector and at an encouraging price that achieves an increase in profits by about 30 percent, in addition to 200 thousand pounds of support from the Agricultural Support Fund, and this achieved a rewarding return for the farmer this year.
Shabat called for the need to support the farmer by handing him the price of his crop from the bank as soon as he handed over the check, because the farmer needs immediately to pay the costs of the season and prepare for planting another season of wheat and barley, and to avoid leaving the opportunity for the farmer to sell his production to the private sector at a lower price, especially since the institution is ready to pay the full price. Delivered quantities, and continue to receive the crop and provide them with facilities.
Mehran Mualla
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