Supporting the Recovery of Crop Production in Dar’a Governorate

Agriculture, which largely contributes to the local economy and GDP in southern Syria, has suffered a significant decline since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis. The sector lacked both reliable operational agricultural equipment, such as those for grain cleaning and seed treatment, and logistical means (e.g. assets required for the timely distribution of seeds to farmers). Moreover, there was a ban on the supply of seed treatment inputs such as fungicides and pesticides,  a lack of qualified personnel and absence of fertilizers. Subsequently, the sector was forced to deliver below average yields with poor quality crops, impacting negatively the food security levels in Dar’a Governorate.

Against this backdrop, the project seeks to restore the local capacity to recover production of subsistence crops through an improved seeds multiplication mechanism and proper application of fertilizers and pesticides by the farming community. It will enhance the capacity of the Implementing Entity (IE), the General Organization for Seed Multiplication (GOSMF), to secure the production and harvesting of sufficient quantities of seeds, clean and treat seeds and package treated seeds for distribution to farmers. This will be achieved through the following activities and deliveries:

• Enabling GOSMF to contract 1,200 farmers for seed multiplication activities, providing them with inputs to cultivate seeds that will then be harvested and treated using assets procured by the project.

• Rehabilitation of GOSMF building and stores as well as hiring qualified staff and consultants for farmers’ training purposes.

• Supply of fixed assets, including seeders, cultivators, fertilizer spreaders, rotavators, moldboards, moisture meters, hectoliters, analytical scales, sample taking probes, sample dividers, seed cleaning equipment, seed sieving and treatment equipment, seed cleaning equipment, seed treatment equipment, portable belt conveyers, motorcycles, satellite communication equipment, office furniture and equipment, laptops and printers as well as electric power generators.

• Supply of consumables, including pesticides for seed fumigation, fungicides for seed treatment, rodenticides, di-ammonium phosphate, safety tools and equipment, HDPE meters Polyethylene sheets, Hessian sacks and Polyethylene sacks for treated seeds.

• Procurement of other services, including rental of warehouses for fertilizer and seed storage, rental of equipment for field operations (e.g. tractors, harvesters, etc.) and transportation of procured goods to project sites.

• Arrangements for GOMSF staff workshops, farmer training courses and filed days for demonstration of good practices.

Worth approximately Euro 3.4 million, the project is expected to generate large quantities of high quality and certified seeds of various cereals, particularly wheat, and legumes, especially lentils and chickpeas. Following treatment and packaging, the IE will offer the produced seeds for distribution to local markets in general and to farming households in particular. Offered at affordable and cost-effective prices, the quality seeds are expected to be used by local farmers to increase the size of cultivated lands significantly. This will help restore and even exceed the pre-war production levels of cereals and legumes, thus, contributing to improved food security in the governorate.

Over 200,000 people in the project’s catchment areas, mostly poor rural people will benefit from this project, which will be implemented over a period of 12 months following the signing of its financial agreement. Farming households, including women headed poor families whose numbers have increased since the start of the war, will largely benefit from the opportunities offered by the project. They are expected to increase their incomes and improve their living conditions considerably. Improved agricultural practices expected to result from training and formation of farmers, including training for proper and environmentally sound application of pesticides and fertilizers, are also expected to minimize the negative impact of use of these substances on natural resources, such as rivers and other water resources.

For further information on this intervention, please see: