A local newspaper in Syria reported that citrus producers in the country are facing growing difficulties every year despite the increase in acreage and production volumes, mostly as a result of the challenges involved by the notable rise in production costs, accompanied by a decline in prices, as well as by the difficulties in logistics and marketing operations.
The newspaper quoted Munther Kheirbek, Marketing Director at the Ministry of Agriculture, as saying that "citrus fruits are strategic crops for families in Lattakia, with about 60 thousand families depending on the activity and an average production estimated at 850 thousand tonnes; Lattakia also accounts for 32.3% of the province's total citrus acreage."
Kheirbek says that the development of agriculture and the increasing number of agricultural working families has boosted production volumes, although he points to the difficulties faced in the marketing process due to current situation and the high cost of shipping. Lower product prices have also brought great challenges to citrus growers, who are facing big losses.
He addressed the importance of taking action and introducing measures to develop the citrus cultivation and solve problems encountered in the marketing process, working to achieve profitable ratios of up to 100% of the cost price for the growers and fixing selling prices per kilo for various citrus varieties. Support needs to be given to exporters, to allow the delivery of products at reasonable prices, proportionate to the purchasing power, and help them with the provision of the necessary resources and cooling facilities.
For his part, Suhail Hamdan, Director of the Citrus Office at the Ministry of Agriculture, said that this year's citrus harvest is good, with no impact from pests or diseases, and that the total production will amount to one million tonnes, with most of it grown in Lattakia and Tartous. He explained that the local market demands up to 400 thousand tonnes per year, which means another 600 thousand tonnes will have to go to external markets or for the production of juices.
He noted that the Syrian citrus production is the third largest of the Arab countries, the seventh in the Mediterranean and the eighteenth worldwide.
It is worth noting that the Prime Minister recently asked several ministries to cooperate with the heads of federations of industry, agriculture and trade, as well as with producers and exporters, to prepare a joint memorandum with proposals for the marketing of citrus in the 2015/2016 season, and to find out ways to prevent the difficulties and obstacles faced in previous years, ensuring that growers get sufficient returns for their crops.
Source: dp-news.com
