Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Damascus, SANA- Ministry of Agriculture, the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), and the Spanish Anti-Hunger Organization (ACF) discussed on Wednesday means to enhance cooperation between them.
Agriculture Minister Ahmad al-Qadri pointed out to the prospects of future cooperation in supporting the livestock sector, water conservation, and supporting women in rural areas, expressing his appreciation to ACSAD and ACF for their huge support for farmers who are affected by the current crisis.
For his part, ACSAD Director-General Rafiq Ali Saleh hailed the earnest work of ACF in supporting the projects of affected farmers in Daraa, Hasaka, al-Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces, noting that the budget of these projects exceeded USD 5 million.
He noted that the two projects which ACSAD is carrying out in Daraa and Hasaka in cooperation with experts from the Agriculture Ministry, and which are financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the ACF, are progressing smoothly, and that more than 60% of the two projects involve providing farmers with irrigation networks and distributing seeds and agricultural equipment.
Saleh added that these two projects have an overall budget of around USD 1 million and will help around 4,000 farmers in both provinces, adding that new cooperation projects are between the same partners are currently being prepared.
In turn, the national coordinator of ACF Svetlana Kapustian gave a copy of a report about the progress of the two projects.
The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) was established in Damascus, Syria in 1968. ACSAD is a specialized Arab organization which aims to develop scientific agricultural research in the arid and semi-arid areas.
The Spanish Anti-Hunger Organization (ACF) is a humanitarian organization established in 1979, aiming to save lives through prevention, detection, and treatment of malnutrition, especially during and after emergency situations and conflicts.
Manar al-Freih / Hazem Sabbagh
