Maher al-Daj, Director of Plant Production at the Ministry of Agriculture, clarified that the area planted with palms in Syria amounts to approximately 433 hectares, comprising nearly 142,000 palm trees, noting that fruit-bearing palms constitute about 40 percent of the total planted palms. He affirmed that current production covers only about 15 percent of local demand, necessitating efforts to increase local production to reduce date imports and preserve foreign currency.
For his part, al-Daj pointed out that Deir Ezzor accounts for 60 percent of the planted areas, while Palmyra in Homs holds a 36 percent share. He noted that the Ministry is working on preparing a comprehensive program to develop palm cultivation and expand planted areas, aiming to meet market needs given the limited current production. He also noted that some Arab varieties cultivated in the Bu Kamal area recorded better quality and productivity specifications than their counterparts in the country of origin.
He added that the Ministry has included in its plan the establishment of the first production laboratory for producing palm seedlings through tissue culture at the Saalou Center in Deir Ezzor, which is expected to be structurally ready and equipped with necessary facilities by the end of next year. The program also includes establishing specialized laboratories to produce seedlings of commercially desirable varieties and offering them to farmers at subsidized prices, as well as cooperating with international organizations to create specialized field schools to develop farmers' expertise.
He clarified that the General Organization for Scientific Agricultural Research is implementing programs to evaluate the male palm trees used in pollination, studying varietal diversity and the adaptation of varieties in the Eastern region. It has also introduced tissue-cultured saplings donated by the Sultanate of Oman, including the Khalas al-Dhahira and Fars varieties, which were planted within a genetic complex to evaluate their suitability for the Syrian environment. Regarding orchard rehabilitation, the proposed projects included rehabilitating the Palmyra and Bu Kamal oases, and creating new oases in Mahsa and Al-Batma.
He noted that the Organization has developed a comprehensive project to combat the red palm weevil, focusing on early detection and integrated management, and enhancing coordination between scientific research, agricultural extension, and farmers. He also confirmed the absence of specialized lines for packing and packaging dates in Syria, pointing out the Ministry's efforts to encourage investment and the private sector to establish partnerships in packing, packaging, and export.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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