Damascus, Feb. 27 (SANA) – Syria’s Ministry of Agriculture has unveiled a five-year plan (2026–2030) centered on improving crop varieties, expanding climate-resilient farming, and strengthening food security through sustainable use of water and land resources.
The plan prioritizes the cultivation of high-yield, drought- and disease-resistant varieties, alongside climate-smart agricultural practices aimed at ensuring stable production and improving crop quality. It seeks to meet domestic food needs while directing part of production toward export markets.
According to the ministry, the strategy includes integrated research programs to develop improved crop varieties resistant to drought, salinity, and pests, with a focus on staple crops such as wheat and barley. The plan also calls for revising Syria’s varietal crop map and expanding the use of nutritionally rich crops within annual agricultural plans.
To improve productivity, the ministry will increase the availability of certified seeds, establish model research stations for producing foundation seeds, and modernize seed cleaning and grading centers. Emphasis is also placed on applied agricultural research, alternative irrigation water use, water-use efficiency, renewable energy, and environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical fertilizers and animal feed.
The plan further aims to narrow the gap between agricultural research centers and farmers’ fields by expanding field trials and strengthening technology transfer and farmer training.
On land use, the ministry plans to expand cultivated areas by rehabilitating irrigated farmland, upgrading irrigation networks and pumping stations, and reclaiming land damaged by war remnants. Annual land-reclamation programs will be supported by heavy machinery and soil-improvement inputs.
The strategy also includes the establishment of agricultural information monitoring networks to track production, prices, plant diseases, and climate conditions, supporting evidence-based decision-making.
Infrastructure development is another pillar of the plan, with measures to upgrade public nurseries, regulate private nurseries, establish pesticide-residue laboratories, enhance early-warning systems for pests and diseases, and improve post-harvest handling through storage, sorting, grading, and processing centers.
In marketing, the plan focuses on strengthening domestic supply chains, forming producer marketing associations, improving access to external markets, and developing agricultural cluster projects in partnership with the private sector to support investment, production, and exports.
The five-year plan was officially launched in mid-February as part of broader efforts to restore the agricultural sector’s role in food security, economic recovery, and national income growth.
