The director of the General Establishment for Seed Multiplication, Ammar Al-Mohammad, confirmed that the institution meets farmers' needs for wheat, cotton, potato, barley, chickpea, fava bean, lentil, and other seeds through local production or imports, noting that the national potato seed multiplication project contributes to enhancing this role. Al-Mohammad stated in an interview with the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Sunday that seeds are provided to farmers after sieving and sterilization at incentive prices, supporting the agricultural sector in Syria by ensuring improved seeds that guarantee quality and productivity according to precise specifications.
Al-Mohammad pointed out that the institution's work begins after varieties are approved by a specialized committee, where it receives seeds from breeders known as "Naweya," which is the first generation for seed production, and then works on multiplying them through the stages of nucleus, base, registered, certified, and improved. He explained that seeds undergo sieving, cleaning, and removal of impurities such as stones, dust, and weed seeds at the preparation centers affiliated with the institution, in addition to sterilization and treatment with appropriate fungicides to become ready for distribution.
Al-Mohammad noted that the multiplication of Naweya seeds is carried out at stations affiliated with the institution under direct technical supervision, while other stages are implemented through contracts with farmers selected based on conditions related to experience, technical, financial, and human capabilities. He clarified that specialized committees supervise the planting and seed production processes through periodic tours to monitor crops and ensure compliance with contract conditions, providing guidance on fertilization, weed and pest control, and varietal purification.
Al-Mohammad emphasized that seed quality monitoring takes place at all production stages, starting from the fields and before harvest, passing through receipt, sieving, and sterilization, up to storage, noting that the institution owns specialized laboratories and has been a member of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) since 1980. He explained that seeds are stored in the institution's closed and open warehouses under suitable conditions, and are monitored by the prevention departments and specialized committees that conduct periodic inspections and sterilization operations to protect them from insect infestations.
He clarified that seeds are sold to farmers based on the agricultural license, either in cash through the institution's branches and warehouses, or on credit through the branches of the Cooperative Agricultural Bank, noting that last season also saw sales through the Good Loan project. He confirmed that seeds are sold at government-subsidized prices and below cost, aiming to encourage the use of improved seeds and ensure their timely delivery to farmers.
Al-Mohammad stressed that improved seeds represent the foundation of the institution's work, given their connection to the variety map approved by the General Organization for Scientific Agricultural Research, explaining that the use of improved seeds, along with adherence to proper agricultural practices, contributes to increasing productivity and improving farmers' returns. He pointed out that the institution faces challenges, primarily the need to increase its capital to implement its production and investment plans, especially with the expansion of its work in the Eastern Region, in addition to the necessity of updating infrastructure and qualifying the institution's facilities.
He indicated that the capacity of seed sieving and preparation units has decreased due to the age of their equipment and the decline in their technical condition, as well as a sharp shortage in machinery, including field vehicles, ordinary trucks, and refrigerated trucks. Regarding future plans, Al-Mohammad explained that the institution is working to increase its production plans, especially with the resumption of activity by the Al-Hasakah branch, alongside qualifying and updating infrastructure in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Syrian Ministry of Agriculture, through the General Establishment for Seed Multiplication, aims to achieve sufficiency in grains for the 2026–2027 season, producing 50,000 tons of wheat seed and 1,800 tons of barley seed, relying on 19 varieties of wheat resistant to environmental stresses.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)