Agriculture Minister: Wheat production for this season is good

Damascus, SANA– Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Eng. Mohammed Hassan Qatana said that wheat production for the current season is “good”, adding that the marketed amounts reached about 750,000 tons.

Eng. Qatana was briefed on, during a meeting on Saturday with Directors of Agricultural Departments in the wheat-producing provinces, the reality of the final production estimates for the crops of wheat and barley for this season.

Eng. Qatana pointed out that preparations for setting up a plan for the upcoming season according to the periodical agricultural cycles, with focus on wheat as an important food security crop, are underway.

He added that the government continues to grant priority for the agricultural sector and exerts all efforts to provide the production requirements.

Director of Damascus Countryside Agricultural Department said that the areas cultivated with wheat reached 18,000 hectares, and that about 40,000 tons have been marketed.

The wheat amounts marketed in Daraa reached 85,000 tons and in Quneitra 2,500 tons.

Director of the General Commission for Management and Development of al–Ghab, Eng. Awfa Wassouf, said that the areas cultivated with wheat reached 52,959 hectares and about 137,414 tons have been marketed.

In Hama, Director of Hama Agricultural Department Eng. Ashraf Bakir said that about 83,000 tons have been marketed from the cultivated areas which reached 46,000 hectares.

Eng. Bakir added that the areas cultivated with barley reached 88,000 hectares and the amounts marketed reached 7000 tons.

In Homs, Director of Homs Agricultural Department Eng. Younis Hamdan said that about 70,278 tons have been marketed from the cultivated areas which reached 42,000 hectares.

Director of Idleb Agricultural Department Eng. Yousef Qassem said that about 18,000 tons have been marketed from the cultivated areas which reached 18,000 hectares.

In Aleppo, the areas cultivated with wheat reached 132,000 hectares and the marketed amounts reached 207,000 tons, according to Director of Aleppo Agricultural Department Eng. Radwan Harsouni.

Director of Raqqa Agricultural Department Eng. Mohammad al-Khadali said that the marketed amounts reached 35,200 tons and the areas cultivated with wheat reached 15,500 hectares, while in Deir Ezzor, the cultivated areas reached 24.400 hectares and the marketed amounts reached 50,400 tons according to Director of Deir Ezzor Agricultural Department Eng. Fouad Abdoun.

Hala Zain