A joint technical delegation from Syria’s General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) conducted a field visit Tuesday to the Qarhata Field Crops Research Station in Damascus countryside to review progress in a project supporting the recovery of Syria’s seed system.  The visit aimed to assess the project’s current implementation stages, evaluate crop conditions, and prepare for the next phase to ensure the production of clean, high-purity seed varieties. The initiative also includes specialized training programs for plant breeding researchers scheduled to begin next week, alongside logistical support for research activities.Deputy Director General of the commission Nader Asaad said the project is being implemented across three research stations—Qarhata, Aleppo, and al-Ghab—to strengthen the national seed production chain.  He explained that the research commission produces foundation seeds, which are then transferred to the General Organization for Seed Multiplication for large-scale propagation, forming the first and most critical stage of the agricultural production cycle.  FAO food security specialist Jalal Hammoud said the organization’s support focuses on building the capacities of technical staff at the agricultural research commission and the seed multiplication organization, rehabilitating research station infrastructure, and supplying production inputs, energy resources, and irrigation systems.  The project also supports the production of early-generation seeds of durum wheat, soft wheat, and barley in cooperation with ICARDA.  Hammoud added that groups of seed producers among farmers contracted with the seed multiplication organization in Homs, Hama, and Aleppo have received seeds and fertilizers, with plans to provide agricultural machinery and equipment in a later phase to further strengthen seed production.  Assistant national coordinator at ICARDA Ahmad Hamdak said the organization has supplied the agricultural research commission with around 200 kilograms of improved, high-yield seeds to support the rehabilitation of Syria’s seed sector.  Meanwhile, Nibal Khazal, head of the Qarhata research station, explained that the project will increase the quantity of foundation seeds for durum wheat, soft wheat, and barley from 10 kilograms per approved variety to about 50 kilograms. These seeds will later be multiplied and distributed to farmers within five years as disease-free and pest-free certified varieties.  Syria’s Ministry of Agriculture five-year plan (2026–2030) prioritizes the cultivation of improved, high-yield and drought-resistant crop varieties and the development of an integrated production system capable of adapting to climate change and water scarcity while strengthening national food security. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Syrian Arab News Agency