The first olive festival kicked off today, Sunday, at the Cultural Center in Idlib city, under the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Idlib Governorate, with participation from the Akhshad Organization, Iktifa Company, and the Directorate of Culture, celebrating the olive season and its agricultural and economic significance in the governorate.
The festival continues until November 3, involving five provinces: Idlib, Hama, Homs, Latakia, and Tartus, through 52 pavilions that include the directorates of agriculture, the Syrian Olive Office, the Agricultural Research Center, alongside private companies and cooperatives.
The olive's connection to Idlib's heritage
Idlib Governor Muhammad Abd al-Rahman stated in a statement to SANA that the festival embodies the connection between olives and the province's heritage, whose cultivation dates back hundreds of years. He noted that the current edition is held for the first time on this scale, with 52 pavilions displaying olive varieties and products from fruit-bearing trees, whereas last year's exhibition was limited to olive oil.
Abd al-Rahman pointed out that the governorate lost approximately 1.5 million olive trees over 14 years of war due to systematic cutting, highlighting ongoing efforts to revive olive cultivation through the distribution of saplings to farmers and launching a wide afforestation campaign in rural areas this year.
Enhancing competitiveness in global markets
Idlib Agriculture Director Engineer Mustafa Muwahhad explained that the festival aims to highlight the importance of the olive tree, revive its cultivation, and shed light on ways to market olive oil, improve its quality, and enhance its competitiveness in global markets. He noted the diversity of exhibits, which include dried figs, honey, saplings, dairy products, and cheeses.
For his part, Engineer Abd al-Hay al-Sarmini, marketing manager at the Al-Owas Sheep Protection and Development Association, indicated strong attendance at the festival on its first day, explaining that the association participates with dairy products, cheeses, and natural leathers, including clothing made from Al-Owas sheep skins.
The festival comes within the framework of the Ministry of Agriculture's efforts to revive the olive sector, which is a cornerstone of Idlib's agricultural economy. The governorate is known for thousands of hectares of perennial trees, as relevant authorities seek to support farmers, market their products, and encourage afforestation campaigns to restore the province to its status as one of Syria's most important olive cultivation and production regions.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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