Daraa, Sept. 29 (SANA) Farmers in Syria’s Daraa province planted 1,195 hectares (11.95 square kilometers) of eggplants this season, nearly three times the planned 420 hectares (4.2 square kilometers), with output forecast at 24,000 tonnes, an agriculture official said Tuesday.
Hassan al-Ahmad, head of agricultural economics and planning at the Daraa Agriculture Directorate, said the crop would supply local markets and households preparing food for winter.
Pepper planting also exceeded its target, reaching 1,127 hectares (11.27 square kilometers) against a planned 408 hectares (4.08 square kilometers), al-Ahmad said. Pepper output is estimated at about 22,000 tonnes.
Farmer Abdul Azim al-Zoubi said eggplants were selling for 35 Syrian pounds ($0.29) to 45 Syrian pounds (0.37) a kilogram. Demand typically rises from September through November as households make makdous, he said. The traditional Syrian dish is made by stuffing boiled and drained small eggplants with red chili peppers, walnuts and salt, then preserving them in olive oil. Farmers supply markets in Daraa, Tafas and Damascus, as well as other parts of the province.
Al-Zoubi said rising costs for agricultural supplies were weighing on farmers and called for lower customs duties on fertilizers and pesticides.
Daraa resident Raeda al-Hussein said making makdous at home costs less than buying it ready-made. She said she prepares about 100 kilograms of eggplants each year, along with peppers, oil, walnuts and garlic.
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