An agricultural scientific symposium entitled Agriculture priorities in the next stage of production, support and manufacturing

Today, a scientific symposium was held at Tishreen University entitled “Priorities for Agriculture in the Next Phase (Production, Support, and Manufacturing)” as part of a series of workshops held successively in cooperation between the Faculty of Economics and the Department of Agricultural Economics in the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering.

The President of Tishreen University, Professor Dr. Bassam Hassan, indicated that the symposium is being held as part of a collaborative work between the Faculties of Economics and Agricultural Engineering and the relevant community activities, hoping to come up with creative solutions that can help decision-makers take the necessary measures and contribute to improving the agricultural and living situation of citizens and raising its technical and economic indicators.

Dr. Hassan stressed that the university, with its research that can be applied to all societal issues, cannot reach creative solutions except by partnering with community bodies and institutions and benefiting from its practical and applied experiences.

The university president called on the relevant colleges to direct scientific research towards the agricultural problems that were raised during the symposium, in addition to developing research projects to support digital transformation within the agricultural sector.

Dr. Afif Haider, Dean of the Faculty of Economics, confirmed that the agricultural sector is the first productive sector among the various economic sectors, and agricultural exports constitute more than 60% of total exports, employing approximately 900 thousand workers, and the arable area constitutes 6 million and 500 thousand hectares.

The Dean of the Faculty of Economics pointed out the problems that the agricultural sector is suffering from due to the war on Syria, which contributed to the decline in production, such as high production costs, transportation fees, and labor wages in sorting and packing, in addition to the sanctions imposed on Syria, high transportation costs by sea, and the loss of the port of Beirut as an export port.

The workshop included a group of valuable lectures on agricultural production in Syria (advantages - structure - problems - competitive advantage by Dr. Ibrahim Saqr, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering - the reality of livestock and animal production and the prospects for its development by Dr. Ali Nisafi - the current reality of agriculture in Syria by engineer Bassem Duba, Director of Agriculture in Latakia - Agricultural production in Syria and the potential opportunities by Dr. Muhammad Mahmoud - Agricultural digital transformation and its implications for sustainable development by Dr. Majd Naama - Rural development and digital transformation and its implications for agricultural production by Dr. Maysaa Asber.

The symposium activities were attended by the Vice President of the University for Scientific Research Affairs, the representative of the Governor of Latakia, Tayseer Habib, a member of the Executive Office for the Agriculture Sector in the Latakia Governorate, Engineer Muhammad Badie Karawi, the Director of Agriculture, Engineer Bassem Duba, the President of the Chamber of Agriculture in Latakia, Muhammad Al-Ajeel, the head of the sub-economic office, Mohsen Daoud, and office heads. The specialist in the governorate, the head of the higher education sub-office, and a group of stakeholders and those interested in agricultural affairs.