Arab News | Syria seeks to revive date palm cultivation in Deir Ezzor

DEIR EZZOR: The Syrian Arab Republic is working to rehabilitate date palm plantations and improve production in eastern Deir Ezzor province, as farmers, researchers and agricultural organizations gathered on Sunday for the third Deir Ezzor Date Exhibition.

Organized by the Agriculture Directorate in cooperation with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the event was held at the Date Palm Propagation Center in Al-Jalaa, in the Al-Bukamal countryside, under the slogan “Our Dates: A National Wealth and Rural Development.”

Ahmad Jalal Ahmad, representing the agriculture minister in eastern Syria, said that Al-Jalaa was known for its high-quality date varieties but that its plantation had suffered from neglect and encroachment.

Rehabilitation efforts are underway with the UN organization and private-sector investors to expand green areas, extend date palm cultivation toward the steppe and improve the quality and marketability of dates, he said.

Mohammad Al-Jassem, director of the Agricultural Scientific Research Center in Deir Ezzor, said the center had eight date palm varieties, alongside two new Omani varieties. About 60 participants from the center, the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands, and UN-supported farmer field schools are taking part in the exhibition.

Shahira Ashawi of American Relief Fund said the organization had invested in the Al-Jalaa plantation for 15 years. Its participation aims to connect with farmers, provide modern date palm pollination equipment and share practical expertise, she said.

Farmer Mahmoud Al-Mohammad, from Al-Bukamal, displayed kabkab, barhi and khalas dates, saying the exhibition offered farmers an opportunity to showcase their produce and exchange experience. Farmer Abdul Razzaq Hanshoul called for greater support for date palm cultivation, which he said had declined in recent years.

According to Agriculture Ministry statistics, Syria had 146,800 date palm trees in 2024, including 49,300 fruit-bearing trees. Annual production over the previous decade ranged from 1,500 to 4,000 tonnes.