(Eqtsad)- Vine agriculture in southern Daraa province in the last 5 years has witnessed significant drop down, due to military actions in the region, especially in the countryside, which led to huge displacement toward safer areas.
The raise in the price of primary materials and lack of compost and other treatments needed for trees, besides disappearance of consumption markets and disability to transport the harvest through series of barriers and preventing exporting to Jordan and the Gulf countries after controlling the southern area by the armed opposition.
The raise in the price of primary materials and lack of compost and other treatments needed for trees, besides disappearance of consumption markets and disability to transport the harvest through series of barriers and preventing exporting to Jordan and the Gulf countries after controlling the southern area by the armed opposition.
Agricultural engineer Ahmed Abo Salah said that vine used to be the most important harvests in the province of Daraa, it had the second rank in the country for the area covered by vine fields and the production volume after olive.
“Vine fields used to cover most areas of the province because the climate and the soil are suitable, but the Western countryside, Mzairib, Zaizon, Tal Shehab Tafas, Ajami and Nawa were the most important areas in regard to vine field numbers”, Abo Salah added.
The Engineer mentioned that before the revolution, the area of vine fields covered and area of 29 thousand Acers, all of them have wells or other source of water.
They had a million and 600 thousand vine trees of both types (Halwani and Baladi) and produced 600 thousand tonnes.
Agricultural Engineer Kusai confirmed that vine agriculture has deteriorated significantly due to displacement toward safer areas and abroad, Added to the raise in the price of primary materials and lack of compost and other treatments needed for trees, besides preventing farmers from reaching to their fields besides disappearance of consumption markets, all that put-off farmers from looking after their fields of vine and neglect them.
The Engineer mentioned that grape produced in Horan used to be known as one of the best in the country because fo the colour, taste, size of the bunches, and the clean water used in irrigation,, beside the experience among farmers in vine agriculture. He noted that vine production has dropped to less than the half after revolution compared to before 2011.
Farmer Abo Khalid mentioned that production cost has increased because of lack of compost and pesticides and high prices of fuel, besides lack of security and safety, which pushed him to get rid of vine trees and replacing them with other fruit trees since two years ago.
He added that ,any farmers in his area did the same because vine become non-profitable lately due to mentioned reason above, besides the bad weather conditions which led to decrease of water amount in river and dams.
Farmer Hamid explained that he was forced to abandon his field because it was at the frontline between the regime and the opposition formations, although he has a well in the field. He sadly explained that all vine trees has become pieces of wood, while they used to provide his with good income and job opportunity for his sons and other people.
He mentioned that many vine fields around his field suffer the same as his field, as there is no one to look after them
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