Supporting Potato Farmers in Ar-Raqqa and Deir-ez-Zor Governorates Phase II

Based on the successes of potato farming projects in Northwest Syria and successes under Phase I in Northeast Syria, the Syria Recovery Trust Fund (SRTF) launched Phase II of the Agriculture intervention “Supporting Potato Farmers in Ar-Raqqa and Deir-ez-Zor Governorates”, aiming to expand the cultivation of potatoes in the two governorates, to strengthen regional food security, improve farmers’ livelihoods and promote agri-businesses.

Through its activities, this intervention is expected to:

• Improve potato production.
• Ensure sustainability in crop production for at least two seasons.
• Enhance regional food security.
• Improve farmers’ livelihoods through higher income returns and increased job opportunities.
• Promote agri-businesses.
• Enhance collaboration between farmers and Cooperatives.

This will be done by implementing the following activities:

• Supplying and distributing high-quality potato tubers to 1,000 farmers (400 kg of tubers for each farmer to plant 0.2 hectare (HA) of land).
• Supplying and distributing other high-quality agricultural inputs, whereby, each farmer will receive 100 kg of fertilisers, one set of personal protective equipment, 100 mesh packing bags, one litre of each of the pesticides, fungicides and insecticides.
• Supplying 300 (out of the 1,000) farmers with water-saving drip irrigation systems, based on an agreed-upon selection criteria.
• Providing technical training sessions on best practices in potato cultivation and Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) concepts. Topics will include field preparation, cultivation, agronomy and production practices for potatoes, the installation, operation and maintenance of drip irrigation systems, crop rotation, soil conservation management and post-harvest storage requirements.

This is anticipated to:

• Engage 1,000 farmers in cultivation activities.
• Ensure the cultivation of 200 HA of land with potatoes across the two governorates.
• Ensure all farmers are trained on the best practices for potato farming with a special focus on CSA.
• Improve potato yield through drip irrigation water-saving and efficient technology.
• Increase farmers’ awareness of the challenges of climate change and improve their ability to combat drought by efficiently utilising available water resources.

With a total budget of around EUR 2.29 million, this intervention is expected to benefit 1,000 farmers directly in addition to their family members indirectly, over a period of eight months.

For more information on this project, please see:

Empowering Northeast Syria: The SRTF Approves €4.96M Interventions to Boost Agriculture, WASH & Electricity Sectors

Supporting Potato Farmers in Ar-Raqqa and Deir-ez-Zor Governorates

For more information on the SRTF visit:

http://www.srtfund.org

Media outlets may contact:

communications@srtfund.org