IDLIB: Pomegranate farmers in the town of Darkush, in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province near the Turkish border, are struggling to bring what is expected to be a strong harvest to market as rising production and transport costs, low prices, and a lack of export outlets squeeze their income.
Darkush lies in a valley within the Orontes River basin, at the foothills of the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range. Pomegranate cultivation is a key source of livelihood for local farmers, who are calling for affordable agricultural supplies, cold storage facilities and access to new markets.
Pomegranate orchards cover more than 250 hectares in Darkush, according to the local Agricultural Extension Division.
The harvest of early pomegranate varieties began in the second half of September, with production expected to be good this season.
Mohammad Dada, an agricultural supervisor at the DarkushAgricultural Extension Division, said that field visits are being conducted to advise farmers on harvesting and packaging, and on controlling pests, including aphids and fungal diseases.
More than 70 percent of farmers in the area depend on pomegranate cultivation, Dada said, but current sale prices are insufficient to cover rising production costs for pesticides, labor, packaging and transport. He said it cost around 50 Syrian pounds ($0.41) to produce one kilogram of pomegranates, and called for subsidized fertilizers and pesticides.
Farmer Mohammad Sharif said pomegranate cultivation is deeply rooted in Darkush’s heritage. Some varieties are used to make pomegranate molasses and juice, allowing producers to diversify their products and make use of more of the harvest.
Farmer Nima Adeeb Nima said five main pomegranate varieties are grown in Darkush: Nab Al-Jamal, Asfouri, Al-Helu, Al-Laban and French. Early varieties are harvested from mid-September to early October.
But the lack of export outlets and limited access to foreign markets have hurt sales, while domestic markets cannot absorb the full harvest, he said.
Trader Samer Bakro said transport costs, particularly fuel prices, make it more expensive to ship pomegranates to Damascus and other provinces. Renting a vehicle costs about $130, he said, adding that more export channels are needed to help sell surplus produce — for which there are also limited storage options — and improve returns for farmers and traders.