Pomegranate cultivation in Tartous Governorate has seen a notable expansion in planted areas and an increase in expected production for the current season compared to last year, despite challenges related to rising production, harvesting, and transportation costs, as well as marketing difficulties that affect farmers' revenues and increase the need to develop marketing, storage, and processing channels to enhance the crop's economic value.
The Director of Agriculture in Tartous, Muhammad Adnan Ahmad, stated in an interview with SANA that the irrigated area planted with pomegranate trees in the governorate reached 183 hectares, noting that this cultivation is concentrated mainly in the Safita area, where expected pomegranate production for the current season is estimated at around 6,486 tons, compared to 5,858 tons last season, with a focus on the Lefan, Makawi, and Yajouji varieties.
For his part, Sulaiman Mar'i, one of the traders of agricultural products in the governorate, highlighted the importance of expanding markets for pomegranate and improving sorting, packaging, and packing processes to enhance marketing opportunities, while considering transportation costs when distributing the crop outside the governorate. He emphasized the necessity of developing storage and cooling facilities and encouraging investment in pomegranate processing to benefit from the abundant production and reduce the spoilage of quantities.
Adnan Aziz, a pomegranate farmer in the Safita area, explained that securing production inputs at reasonable prices and providing labor during the harvesting season are among the main factors contributing to alleviating the burden on farmers. He stressed the importance of providing marketing outlets that ensure the sale of the crop at fair prices, amid ongoing challenges related to the rising costs of tree care, harvesting, labor, packaging, and transportation.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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