Support Farmers for the Production of Wheat Crop in North Aleppo

Given the importance of the agriculture sector in allowing Syrians to secure their livelihoods and given the lack of agrochemicals for pest control available in the region, the Syria Recovery Trust Fund (SRTF) launched an extension project under its Agriculture sector, “Support Farmers for the Production of Wheat Crop in North Aleppo”, in Northwest Syria. This project was developed based on the “Support Farmers for the Production of Wheat and Vegetable Crops in Northern Aleppo – Phase II” project which was previously successfully implemented by the SRTF.

Through this project and in coordination with the Implementing Entity (IE), the SRTF aims to provide farmers with agricultural inputs including varieties of Syrian wheat seeds, fertilisers and agrochemicals, as well as capacity-building sessions through Farmer Field Schools, in order to revitalise wheat production as well as improve food security and livelihoods in the areas of operation across Northern Aleppo.

The project is expected to:

• Create an effective and efficient environment for wheat production.
• Concentrate on improving farmers’ access to quality inputs and provide them with seeds, fertilisers and other agrochemicals.
• Address the most important diseases affecting wheat crops in Northwest Syria, including Sunn pest, leaf and stem rust and field mice.
• Enhance the capacities of farmers on pest management practices and Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) for wheat production.
• Increase wheat production thereby, improving food security across the targeted areas.

This will be done by implementing the following:

• Selecting 1,000 wheat farmers based on the criteria agreed upon by the Management Unit (MU) and IE.
• Conducting awareness sessions with the chosen farmers, explaining the activities of the project.
• Distributing 500kg of wheat seeds to every farmer, which is sufficient for planting two hectares of land.
• Distributing 500kg of fertilisers to every farmer, which is sufficient for planting two hectares of land.
• Organising five field-day demonstrations in targeted areas, to exchange technical details and skills with farmers.
• Developing an early warning system for wheat production, focusing on field mice, rust disease and sun pests. This will allow farmers to take preventative measures in such cases in order to reduce potential losses.
• Establishing Farmer Field Schools where technical assistance is provided through training sessions on CSA and Good Agriculture Practices (GAP), will be conducted. These sessions will include topics such as land preparation practices, improved farming techniques, crop rotation, integrated pest management, types of diseases that can harm crops and the best way to control them, and optimal irrigation time and the efficient utilisation of water resources. This will help farmers in identifying suitable soil and land types, while also attaining information on market analysis and access to financial services.
• Conducting mechanical pest control in targeted areas, using various devices and methods.
• Conducting a session on wheat production and how to improve it.
• Controlling field mice in wheat fields when the infestation is severe.
• Conducting chemical control for pests, while diligently monitoring the pest population and applying insecticides when necessary.
• Conducting chemical control for rust disease of wheat, in order to reduce the risk of disease damaging the wheat crop.
• Establishing a new soil laboratory, equipped with the necessary inputs and technology for testing the soil and anaylsing its properties, thereby, providing quality services in targeted areas.
• Improving the IE’s website and turn it into a more secure, easy-to-use and more reliable platform for stakeholders.

This is anticipated to result in the following:

• Increasing the amount of wheat produced by 5,000-6,000 MT, thereby, contributing to enhancing food security across the project’s target areas.
• Improving the productivity of agricultural land, given the improved local varieties adapted to the Syrian climate as well as the quality of soil (enhanced by the use of the new fertilisers).
• Enhancing farmers’ capacities on pest management practices and CSA.
• Ensuring sustainability for farmers, as the agricultural inputs are provided to farmers for free, allowing for increased income generation when they sell their harvest across local markets at affordable prices.

With a total budget of around EUR 2.07 million, this project is expected to directly benefit 1,000 farmers and their 5,000 family members indirectly, over a period of 18 months, including six months for monitoring and evaluation. An additional 45,000 individuals per month will benefit from the availability of wheat flour which will be used for bread production. This will allow all individuals to benefit through increased food and financial security resulting from the project.

For more information on this project, please see:

An SRTF Agriculture Project Delivers Fertilisers in Northern Aleppo

An SRTF Agriculture Project Delivers Wheat Seeds in Northern Aleppo

The SRTF Management Committee (MC) Approves Five New Projects and Interventions under the Health and Agriculture Sectors

For more information on the SRTF visit:

http://www.srtfund.org

Media outlets may contact:

communications@srtfund.org