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20261105 200000 UTC
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[00:00:00] returning to rebuild their homes. Their homes anew. Thank you
[00:00:04] very much, Yazan
[00:00:06] finding a needle in Al-Bayya, Al-Ikhbariya correspondent. You were with us live from
[00:00:09] Damascus countryside. We remain in the same context and now
[00:00:13] welcome our guest, Engineer Ali Hamish, Director
[00:00:16] of the Rubble Removal Project in Damascus Countryside Governorate, responsible for
[00:00:20] the Douma and Darayya areas. Welcome
[00:00:23] with us, Mr. Ali. So, as we heard from
[00:00:29] me, meaning it is dangerous to survey the area for Al-Ikhbariya correspondent a short while ago, there is a huge project that is already underway
[00:00:31] and the goal of it is to benefit from
[00:00:35] part of the debris from the destruction
[00:00:39] of the former regime instead of limiting ourselves to simply transporting
[00:00:42] it outside Damascus countryside. What kind
[00:00:45] of benefit are we referring
[00:01:04] we thank you for highlighting a very important project
[00:01:07] in the reconstruction effort.
[00:01:09] here. It repeated itself in many Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds. Yesterday, Wednesday,
[00:01:14] at least 6 11/4/2026, the rubble removal campaign in Al-Zabadani
[00:01:17] was launched. And
[00:01:20] the production of building materials from the rubble recycling unit in Darayya
[00:01:23] was also launched. Praise be to God, the rubble recycling
[00:01:27] unit in Darayya was established with generous support
[00:01:30] from King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.
[00:01:33] The project consists of four
[00:01:36] stages. We have الحمد لله reached the final stage, which is the production
[00:01:40] Qader, despite this growth, of building materials that contribute to reconstruction. Of course,
[00:01:43] the production of building materials from
[00:01:47] rubble is considered
[00:01:49] a difficult and arduous
[00:01:52] task, and few countries have, to be honest,
[00:01:55] adopted this approach. And praise be to God, we have established a
[00:02:01] mobile unit. Once we finish with
[00:02:05] Darayya, we will move to other
[00:02:08] affected cities
[00:02:11] due to
[00:02:14] of the crop. Despite this the war waged by the criminal regime on the Syrian people. Praise be to God, this is the advantage
[00:02:16] of the rubble recycling unit. It is not
[00:02:19] and have an impact on the available in many countries, meaning that we have established a rubble
[00:02:22] recycling unit that can be transported from one site to another, instead of
[00:02:26] transporting the rubble outside the cities, outside the
[00:02:30] outside the neighborhood, and then recycling it and bringing it back to benefit from it.
[00:02:34] We recycle the rubble within the site
[00:02:37] six tons per hectare of and produce materials and use building areas. This was reflected materials
[00:02:40] You mentioned that there is an increase in such
[00:02:42] cultivated areas and an increase in as pavement, interlocking concrete pavement
[00:02:45] for sidewalks, building blocks, road medians.
[00:02:49] Praise be to God, materials for paving
[00:02:52] road layers have been produced, materials for sewage lines have been produced, materials
[00:02:56] for
[00:02:59] the level of benefit from this water lines and electricity network. Welcome back,
[00:03:02] Engineer Ali, and we thank your efforts at the beginning for
[00:03:06] the efforts that you are making in the countryside
[00:03:09] of Idlib and in all Syrian areas and in the countryside of Damascus, and we are talking about this
[00:03:13] project. You spoke about
[00:03:15] of the planned areas, multiple stages for the rubble removal project and even
[00:03:20] and security measures and the ordnance removal the operations of rubble recycling in
[00:03:23] Darayya. Is there a timeline initially
[00:03:27] that is being worked on for all
[00:03:30] the rubble and to start the recycling
[00:03:32] process?
[00:03:35] We hope that in Darayya, God willing, by
[00:03:38] December 31st, meaning approximately after 60 days, we will have completed
[00:03:42] the rubble recycling process in Darayya
[00:03:44] sector. This and the production of materials, God willing. After December 31st, God
[00:03:48] willing, there is an ambition in the Ministry
[00:03:51] reliance on of Emergency and Disaster Management, God willing, to generalize this experience
[00:03:54] to all Syrian governorates throughout
[00:03:58] file, we are joined here in the imports. To beloved Syrian territories. expand further and shed light on this
[00:04:00] And God willing, in all affected areas of rural Damascus,
[00:04:07] we ask about this the rubble removal operations in meaning rural Damascus is considered one of the areas with the highest damage, a red zone, meaning it is considered
[00:04:10] almost destroyed,
[00:04:13] in terms of
[00:04:17] the presence of rubble and buildings. So, God willing, this step
[00:04:22] God give you health, thank you for will be generalized to the rest of the areas. We have Jobar neighborhood, we
[00:04:25] have Al-Qaboun, we have the Eastern Ghouta
[00:04:29] of rural Damascus. Douma, the Douma area and its surroundings,
[00:04:32] one of the crops that are included and we have Wadi Barada, we have
[00:04:35] meaning we have Al-Hajar Al-Aswad. God willing, this experience will be beneficial
[00:04:40] in for us in rural Damascus completely and throughout the Syrian territories, God
[00:04:45] farmers believe that this willing. Mr. Ali, you spoke about steps
[00:04:48] and the possibility of generalization, as you mentioned a little while ago, for
[00:04:53] do you deal with this this step that you have already started in rural Damascus, and there were parallel
[00:04:55] steps in Aleppo. But when we talk about the specificity
[00:04:59] of the region and the massive destruction in the capital's countryside,
[00:05:02] because it was targeted number
[00:05:05] one by the regime, how do you deal with it on
[00:05:09] a daily basis, or what are the priorities for removing this rubble?
[00:05:12] And transporting it, and then comes
[00:05:15] the role of
[00:05:17] recycling.
[00:05:20] God bless you, Miss, for your question. We consider rubble removal
[00:05:24] to be a dangerous task. The first stage
[00:05:28] of rubble removal is to survey the targeted area
[00:05:31] for traces of ammunition
[00:05:34] and war remnants. So, I must have a specialized team to
[00:05:39] unexploded ordnance and secure the area. This is the first
[00:05:43] stage. The second stage is to start
[00:05:47] sorting. There is rubble that can be recycled and rubble that cannot be recycled.
[00:05:50] I will have to conduct a field sorting at the site
[00:05:54] and transport the non-recyclable part to landfills in coordination with the local
[00:05:57] councils in the cities. Then, the recyclable part
[00:06:00] will be transported to the rubble recycling unit. Once
[00:06:04] it reaches the rubble recycling unit, the integrated
[00:06:07] economic cycle begins, which starts with crushing,
[00:06:10] then sorting, then cleaning from waste,
[00:06:14] plastic, and byproducts. Then
[00:06:17] the distribution of materials begins according to each product
[00:06:20] we produce from the recycled materials, God willing.
[00:06:23] Oh. Okay, how much do you estimate
[00:06:27] the total amount of rubble,
[00:06:30] Engineer Ali, based on your preliminary study in the
[00:06:34] Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management,
[00:06:37] located in rural Damascus, or perhaps concentrated in
[00:06:41] some cities, and which are the most affected? Some
[00:06:44] people ask, based on our
[00:06:48] study and field survey across all Syrian
[00:06:51] territories, the rubble, according
[00:06:54] to UN documents, is estimated to be between 40 and 50 million
[00:06:58] cubic meters. This is a huge number globally. We have
[00:07:01] rural Damascus as one of the
[00:07:05] affected red zones. We have part of Homs city
[00:07:08] within the red zone. We have Deir ez-Zor city within the red zone.
[00:07:12] We have the southern Idlib countryside within
[00:07:15] the red zone, and some areas in the Aleppo countryside within the red zone. The red zone
[00:07:19] means that the area is almost destroyed. Therefore,
[00:07:23] we have quantities of rubble
[00:07:27] between 40 and 50 million. This is an initial estimate, but through
[00:07:30] our field work and survey, the numbers will be much
[00:07:34] larger because when we estimate a site and survey it, the site
[00:07:38] is estimated, for example, at
[00:07:41] 20,000. This street, we remove 2,000, our displaced people
[00:07:43] start returning to their homes, and another 20,000 comes out of the houses,
[00:07:47] as if the road we cleared of rubble is still full.
[00:07:50] Therefore, the rubble in Syria is
[00:07:54] a huge burden, and God willing, the first steps have begun
[00:07:57] and there is a plan, God willing,
[00:08:01] that within the next few years, the rubble will be removed and recycled
[00:08:04] through a national plan developed by the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster
[00:08:08] Management. Since we are talking, Mr. Ali, about a national plan,
[00:08:13] and red zones with priority,
[00:08:15] and stages, what is the second stage
[00:08:19] that is expected to be taken
[00:08:22] whether in terms of a specific geographical area in rural Damascus
[00:08:25] or more broadly when you mentioned all these
[00:08:28] points? We hope that the areas currently
[00:08:32] within the
[00:08:36] rubble removal project in Damascus with the support of King
[00:08:39] Salman Center were initially targeting Douma and Darayya.
[00:08:43] And thankfully, Al-Zabadani has been added in the second stage.
[00:08:46] Now, God willing, the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management
[00:08:49] is generalizing the experience to the
[00:08:53] most necessary areas, which are Jobar, Al-Qaboun,
[00:08:57] part of Douma, Arbin, and Zamalka, in addition to Wadi
[00:09:00] Barada and Al-Hajar Al-Aswad, which is considered a red zone
[00:09:03] similar to Darayya and Douma. God willing,
[00:09:07] the next important work now is that the work, God willing, will cover every
[00:09:10] square meter of Syrian territory. But, as you mentioned, Miss, there are priorities.
[00:09:14] Now, the areas I mentioned that have priority or the
[00:09:17] red color in the needs assessment, God willing, will
[00:09:21] be the next target for rubble removal and recycling.
[00:09:25] Uh-huh. Okay, Engineer Ali, in addition to your commendable
[00:09:28] efforts, which Syrians always appreciate,
[00:09:31] and everything you do,
[00:09:34] some people today ask, we are now on the eve of the second anniversary
[00:09:38] of the country's liberation. Why all this delay in
[00:09:41] removing the rubble from all
[00:09:48] and with all sincerity, God willing, please,
[00:09:51] the Syrian Civil Defense before liberation and the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster
[00:09:55] Management after liberation
[00:09:59] started removing rubble from the first day of liberation. We were removing
[00:10:03] rubble in northern Syria even before liberation, and
[00:10:07] tens of thousands of cubic meters have been removed
[00:10:10] so far, close to 6 million
[00:10:13] cubic meters. But, sir, the work is huge.
[00:10:17] For example, when I started in Darayya, we conducted
[00:10:21] the initial survey with the help of the local council and the local
[00:10:25] organization. We chose a neighborhood to give you a simple example, with your permission.
[00:10:28] Please. Because the file is very complex
[00:10:32] and... I preempted the discussion by thanking
[00:10:35] your efforts, because many neighborhoods have had rubble removed more
[00:10:39] than once because of what the residents do, cleaning
[00:10:42] their homes and removing rubble from their homes and putting it in the streets. Please.
[00:10:45] That's right, that's right. So that our viewers understand and know
[00:10:49] the enormous amount of work we are doing. In the neighborhoods of Al-Jam'iyat,
[00:10:52] during my geographic survey, I needed to remove
[00:10:56] 16,000 cubic meters. Sir,
[00:10:59] I removed 16,000 cubic meters. Of course,
[00:11:03] thank God, there is documentation before removal, during
[00:11:06] removal, and after removal. After we removed it, we moved to another
[00:11:10] site. After
[00:11:13] the site, and my technical colleagues in the field told
[00:11:17] me, "Sir, the site looks like it hasn't been touched."
[00:11:20] The street was full again. That's right. We started and removed it for the second time.
[00:11:24] To be honest,
[00:11:27] this scenario is repeating itself. It repeated itself in the eastern neighborhoods
[00:11:31] of Aleppo. It repeated itself areas in the countryside
[00:11:35] of Idlib and in the countryside of Ma'arat al-Nu'man in Idlib. It repeated itself in more
[00:11:39] than one location. So, we cannot reach zero rubble
[00:11:42] except after a period of time, after
[00:11:46] all our people return, because sometimes 40% of the neighborhood returns.
[00:11:49] After two months, 50 families returned. The 50 families
[00:11:52] went to their homes and put it in the street. They moved it
[00:11:56] to the street. A quantity almost
[00:11:59] equal to the quantity we removed. Thank God,
[00:12:02] the train is moving and has started, and God willing, it will cover all
[00:12:05] Syrian territories, and there are great efforts, God willing,
[00:12:09] being made in this field. Part of it appears in the media, part of it doesn't, but God willing,
[00:12:13] through your esteemed screen,
[00:12:15] we reassure all our people in Syria that all
[00:12:19] the rubble will be removed, God
[00:12:22] willing. Okay, Mr. Ali, you mentioned that some efforts
[00:12:26] appear in the media and some
[00:12:28] do not. Through Al-Ikhbariya platform, what
[00:12:32] are the efforts that you are trying
[00:12:36] to highlight, especially since you work with a team spirit,
[00:12:39] and what are the other entities that cooperate
[00:12:44] ground?
[00:12:47] You know, madam, some efforts, for example, are visible
[00:12:51] to our
[00:12:53] partners in the work, the municipality, or the local
[00:12:56] authorities. There are efforts that are not visible
[00:12:59] to the public. These are efforts such as our surveying
[00:13:03] work to remove ordnance.
[00:13:05] This is a daily effort, daily, daily. In the area,
[00:13:09] the trucks and heavy machinery
[00:13:11] removed one cubic meter, but there must be
[00:13:15] strenuous efforts from the ordnance removal team.
[00:13:18] This means that the project's duration, for example, is 60
[00:13:22] days, but their work continues throughout the project. Every day,
[00:13:26] every day, or for example, in the Darayya
[00:13:29] project, we faced four
[00:13:33] cases of four shells
[00:13:35] with three projectiles
[00:13:39] that were removed. This could have caused a disaster, but
[00:13:42] thanks to the adoption of safety
[00:13:45] team, this part is not highlighted much
[00:13:49] in the media, but thank God, this is an essential part, and we thank, through your
[00:13:52] esteemed screen, the unexploded ordnance
[00:13:55] removal team at the Ministry of Disaster and Emergency Management.
[00:13:59] So, thank God, no problems occurred
[00:14:02] and the first stage was completed
[00:14:06] safely, and God willing, the second stage has begun, and the production of materials
[00:14:09] will continue for the remaining 60 days of the project, God willing, and will be completed safely,
[00:14:13] God willing. And we always thank your efforts, Engineer Ali.
[00:14:16] Well, some people ask about the cadres that
[00:14:19] you are employing and who are working on
[00:14:23] the rubble recycling unit in Darayya or even
[00:14:29] Zabadani. Do you face a problem with the number
[00:14:32] of working cadres, engineer?
[00:14:36] Of course, sir, dealing with rubble
[00:14:39] and removing it requires accumulated experience. It is not
[00:14:43] just a certificate or a specialized study. It requires
[00:14:46] academic certificates, but it also requires people
[00:14:50] and individuals, experts in dealing with rubble, because
[00:14:53] rubble has significant challenges. It involves the issue of ownership,
[00:14:57] which is a big challenge. You have to preserve people's
[00:15:00] property in collapsed buildings
[00:15:03] or buildings that are about to be demolished.
[00:15:06] This is very important when it comes to
[00:15:10] ownership. We have the challenge of safety
[00:15:12] and security. Therefore, we have the challenge of
[00:15:16] technical expertise in determining which rubble can be recycled
[00:15:19] and which cannot. For example, if I
[00:15:23] take
[00:15:26] two cubic meters that cannot be recycled from 100 cubic meters,
[00:15:29] then I have spoiled the 100 cubic meters,
[00:15:33] because removing these two cubic meters when they are part of 100
[00:15:37] cubic meters,
[00:15:39] two cubic meters that cannot be recycled from 200, it becomes like
[00:15:44] a haystack, as they say. Therefore, it requires
[00:15:47] great technical expertise so that only recyclable rubble goes to the rubble
[00:15:51] recycling unit, because any
[00:15:53] chemical materials, soil, plastic
[00:15:56] waste,
[00:15:58] some hazardous materials, batteries, if they go to
[00:16:02] the recycling unit, it is first dangerous and causes
[00:16:06] safety,
[00:16:11] and a large part of the materials are disposed of. Therefore, thank God,
[00:16:14] the Ministry of Disaster Management, through the previous
[00:16:17] years, before liberation and the work
[00:16:21] after liberation, we now have a team, thank God, that has accumulated
[00:16:24] experience in removing and transporting rubble and recycling
[00:16:28] it. We wish safety to all Civil Defense volunteers
[00:16:31] and also to the members of the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster
[00:16:36] the bottom of our hearts for your efforts, Engineer Ali Al-Hamish, Director of the Rubble Removal Project in
[00:16:40] Damascus Countryside Governorate, for the areas of Douma
[00:16:43] and Darayya. You were with us live from
[00:17:02] in Syria recorded a significant increase this year,
[00:17:06] with an increase of 42%
[00:17:09] compared to last year, indicating
[00:17:12] an improvement in local production. Yes, Abdel
[00:17:17] production still covers only half of the country's
[00:17:20] needs, amid efforts to increase productivity
[00:17:23] and challenges related to the availability of irrigation water
[00:17:26] and climate
[00:17:27] change.
[00:17:31] Yellow corn production in Syria witnessed a remarkable
[00:17:34] increase during the current year, recording
[00:17:37] an increase of 42%
[00:17:40] compared to last year, reaching about
[00:17:43] 475
[00:17:46] tons, thus covering half of the country's needs
[00:17:51] improvement, the challenges of water resources
[00:17:54] and increasing productivity remain
[00:17:57] crucial factors facing agricultural expansion plans
[00:18:01] and enhancing local production. According to data from the Ministry
[00:18:04] of Agriculture, the cultivated areas reached about
[00:18:07] 84 thousand hectares with an average
[00:18:11] productivity of approximately
[00:18:14] hybrid varieties, while the agricultural plan
[00:18:18] aimed to cultivate 97 thousand
[00:18:20] hectares and produce
[00:18:23] 551
[00:18:26] tons. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
[00:18:30] Nations (FAO) indicates that Syria's production
[00:18:33] of yellow corn reached approximately 3,000
[00:18:39] tons in 2024,
[00:18:42] which reflects a development in the volume of production during the recent
[00:18:45] period. Raqqa leads the crop cultivation areas
[00:18:48] with 35%
[00:18:52] followed by Aleppo with 34%,
[00:18:55] then Deir ez-Zor with 16%. The
[00:18:58] Ministry seeks to raise the productivity
[00:19:02] per hectare to seven tons through expanding the use of
[00:19:05] improved varieties and developing breeding
[00:19:09] and hybridization programs. Despite the recorded improvement, the availability
[00:19:13] of irrigation water remains one of the most prominent challenges facing agricultural
[00:19:16] expansion in light of climate change, which
[00:19:19] necessitates continuous coordination between the concerned authorities
[00:19:23] to ensure sustainable production and enhance food
[00:19:26] security and reduce
[00:19:35] the studio by Professor Maher Al-Duqq,
[00:19:38] Director of Plant Production at the Ministry of Agriculture. Welcome, Professor
[00:19:42] Maher. So,
[00:19:45] crop, which some describe as strategic
[00:19:48] and of high value
[00:19:59] hosting me. Regarding
[00:20:02] corn,
[00:20:04] especially yellow corn, it is considered
[00:20:10] in feed mixtures. Uh-huh. So,
[00:20:13] when we talk about the poultry sector, a feed mixture for poultry
[00:20:16] contains between five,
[00:20:19] 550 kilograms to 650 kilograms
[00:20:22] per ton, meaning approximately 55% to 65%
[00:20:26] of the feed mixture for
[00:20:30] poultry, as well as for
[00:20:33] cattle. Uh-huh.
[00:20:36] So, corn
[00:20:40] as a crop is, for us, one of the most important
[00:20:43] fodder crops, one of the most important fodder crops,
[00:20:46] especially in supporting the livestock sector, whether
[00:20:50] it is poultry or
[00:20:58] 42%, according
[00:21:01] to the reports, compared to last
[00:21:04] year. What
[00:21:07] caused this
[00:21:10] increase? Uh-huh.
[00:21:12] First of all,
[00:21:15] frankly, the most important thing is the return
[00:21:19] of state control to the eastern regions in Syria. When we talk
[00:21:22] about the eastern regions, they are Syria's food basket.
[00:21:26] Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa are the ones who plant
[00:21:30] corn in those areas. Of course, when we talk
[00:21:33] in the report, Raqqa is almost 75%, meaning
[00:21:37] of Syria's crop. Uh, we took 35%
[00:21:42] year. Right. Uh-huh. This is number one.
[00:21:46] So, the cultivated areas increased, and praise be to God. The second
[00:21:49] thing is the opening of roads between
[00:21:52] the governorates, which enabled the introduction of hybrid and improved varieties to those
[00:21:55] eastern areas. These varieties, compared to local varieties,
[00:21:58] have high productivity. We are not talking about hybrid varieties, we are talking about
[00:22:04] tons per hectare, possibly up to ten,
[00:22:07] compared to local varieties, which are much
[00:22:10] less than that. The second thing is the interest
[00:22:14] due to the Syrian
[00:22:16] need for it. We buy it with foreign currency, we import
[00:22:20] it usually, so this gives it a high
[00:22:24] price. The farmer has recently
[00:22:28] started cultivating it and expanding
[00:22:31] cultivation, in addition
[00:22:33] to the
[00:22:35] Ministry of Agriculture's interest in the eastern regions and including
[00:22:38] them in the annual
[00:22:41] plans, also led to increasing
[00:22:44] the areas. The second
[00:22:47] thing, frankly, is the weather
[00:22:53] conditions that occurred this year, whether
[00:22:55] it was good rainfall or whether
[00:22:59] there were no high temperatures
[00:23:02] compared to last
[00:23:05] year. We are in this period, which is the period
[00:23:09] of, let's say, pollination. High
[00:23:12] temperatures above, let's say, 35-38 degrees
[00:23:15] cause pollination failure, and ultimately low
[00:23:18] productivity. This year, thank God, the conditions
[00:23:21] were favorable. It was a good year, wide
[00:23:26] in productivity.
[00:23:32] demand from farmers,
[00:23:35] and therefore raising the level of production of this strategic
[00:23:38] crop will reflect not only on the agricultural sector, but
[00:23:41] on several sectors. What are the most prominent of these sectors
[00:23:45] and how can
[00:23:49] product be raised? First of all, when we talk
[00:23:52] about corn, it is a processing crop used
[00:23:55] as an industrial crop, whether it is crops like
[00:23:59] we mentioned in feed mixtures, which are reflected in the livestock sector,
[00:24:03] whether it is poultry, whether it is ruminants, or
[00:24:06] whether it is an oil crop,
[00:24:09] as one of the industrial oil crops. In Syria,
[00:24:13] we have not yet fully utilized it
[00:24:17] as an oil crop. It is still within the feed
[00:24:20] scope, frankly. Right.
[00:24:24] The second thing is that our local
[00:24:27] production will reduce production costs in the poultry
[00:24:30] sector and production costs in the ruminant
[00:24:34] will reflect on
[00:24:37] the livelihood
[00:24:39] of the Syrian citizen. When we provide low-cost
[00:24:43] animal production inputs, we will ultimately
[00:24:46] get a lower price for white meat and red meat.
[00:24:50] For milk and eggs. Uh-huh.
[00:24:53] As sectors, in addition,
[00:24:56] we, frankly, the more we produce locally,
[00:25:00] the more we reduce the need and, let's say,
[00:25:04] the gaps. This in turn saves foreign currency
[00:25:07] for the Syrian Arab Republic,
[00:25:10] so that we can, as much as possible,
[00:25:14] adjust the balance of imports
[00:25:17] and exports. We will discuss this in more detail.
[00:25:21] Mr. Maher, you mentioned earlier the changes
[00:25:24] that the weather has witnessed in Syria, whether in terms of rain or
[00:25:27] even low temperatures
[00:25:30] summer. Some
[00:25:35] weather imposes perhaps unfavorable
[00:25:39] conditions for their crops. How
[00:25:43] climate change to ensure
[00:25:46] the stability of agricultural seasons in general? Yes.
[00:25:50] Basically, within the Ministry's
[00:25:54] plans, we are always looking for
[00:25:57] varieties that are called climate-smart,
[00:26:00] meaning, let's say,
[00:26:03] they suit environmental needs
[00:26:06] in terms of water. We are always looking for varieties that require
[00:26:09] less water. We are looking
[00:26:13] for varieties that are suitable for the climate.
[00:26:16] We work to introduce them. In addition,
[00:26:20] the Ministry of Agriculture has
[00:26:23] an agricultural research body
[00:26:27] that works to improve local
[00:26:30] varieties that are suitable. So, there are
[00:26:33] extensive studies that you are conducting
[00:26:35] on the agricultural file. But, when
[00:26:39] we talk about agricultural research, we are talking about approximately 5,000
[00:26:42] professors, meaning doctors in agriculture who are
[00:26:45] in the authority, but their specialization is only research and agricultural
[00:26:49] sciences. So, within the Ministry, they study everything:
[00:26:52] weather, rain, temperature, everything.
[00:26:55] And its impact on agriculture. When we talk about
[00:26:59] the agricultural research
[00:27:02] institution, currently led by Dr. Yassin Naasan, with
[00:27:06] a staff of approximately 5,000 professors,
[00:27:09] doctors, all their work
[00:27:13] is focused on applied research
[00:27:16] studies, not just academic. Our goal is not
[00:27:20] to bring in research and publish it, like
[00:27:23] scientific research that may be affiliated with the Ministry of Higher Education. No, agricultural
[00:27:27] research is applied research. We have
[00:27:30] needs that we need to study. We harness
[00:27:33] all the expertise and all the academic
[00:27:36] knowledge that our colleagues have
[00:27:40] to address these needs.
[00:27:43] Well, Mr. Maher, these applied research
[00:27:47] Is it focused on specific crops because you mentioned huge numbers
[00:27:50] for the followers of these researches, and they are scientific
[00:27:54] figures, and therefore what are the most prominent
[00:27:58] applied projects that have already targeted perhaps specific crops or
[00:28:01] even specific areas in Syria today?
[00:28:05] Okay, well the agricultural
[00:28:08] research body has
[00:28:12] its programs that honestly study
[00:28:15] anything related to the needs of the Syrian market
[00:28:19] or Syrian agriculture from strategic
[00:28:22] crops like wheat, barley, corn,
[00:28:25] cotton, in addition
[00:28:28] to projects concerning
[00:28:32] early warning weather.
[00:28:36] Anything that the
[00:28:38] Ministry of Agriculture
[00:28:42] might face in terms of needs transfers its files
[00:28:45] to agricultural research for study in academic files, even
[00:28:49] the study of varieties. Any hybrid
[00:28:52] variety that must be introduced to Syria is not introduced directly.
[00:28:55] It is introduced through research, and
[00:28:58] experiments are conducted on it for at least
[00:29:02] two seasons. Then, based on the results of agricultural
[00:29:06] research, a decision is made to introduce it or
[00:29:10] not introduce it, because you know that sometimes, even if it has high productivity, it might be a heavy
[00:29:14] water consumer, it might be sensitive to some insects and diseases
[00:29:17] present in Syria, sensitive to certain
[00:29:21] temperatures, etc. So, they are honestly
[00:29:23] the scientific advisory body that
[00:29:27] provides
[00:29:31] advice regarding the matter, and based on that,
[00:29:34] a decision is made to introduce any variety or not introduce it, or
[00:29:38] they also have a role in developing new varieties
[00:29:41] and improving them. Aha. Well, as
[00:29:43] they say, Professor Maher, an ounce of prevention is worth
[00:29:47] a pound of cure. I want to ask you about the
[00:29:50] perhaps guidance workshops and the field work that he does.