اخبار سوريا اليوم – وطن نيوز
سوريا اليوم – اخبار سوريا عاجل
W6nnews.com ==== وطن === تاريخ النشر – 2026-03-22 16:04:00
Enab Baladi – Shaaban Shamiya The Syrian coastal plain has recently witnessed a noticeable agricultural shift towards the cultivation of tropical fruits, starting from the city of Latakia and reaching the Al-Hamidiyah region, south of Tartous, which provides good economic returns at a lower cost, as farmers consider them a “promising alternative” to citrus and tomatoes, with the continuing rise in the costs of producing these crops. During the last ten years, crops such as bananas, avocados, cream, and chocolate have emerged as part of a new and expanding agricultural landscape in Tartous, which has contributed to a relative change in the governorate’s traditional agricultural patterns. In an interview with Enab Baladi, agricultural engineer Abd al-Rahman al-Zeer said that the climate of the Syrian coast, especially in Tartous, is moderate and humid, with relatively warm winters, which makes it suitable for a number of tropical and subtropical crops. Encouraging profits from an economic standpoint. Some of these crops have achieved good returns that exceed traditional crops, according to agricultural engineer Abd al-Rahman al-Zeer, but it is too early to say that they will eclipse them, but rather will remain complementary to them within the diversification of agricultural production. Al-Zeer said that tropical agriculture is mostly concentrated in coastal areas at a depth of four kilometers, noting that it succeeds more in well-drained lands, with moderate humidity and relative protection from cold winds. Limited impact on “traditional” crops. Al-Zeer confirmed that the impact of tropical crops on other crops is limited so far, while they may gradually contribute to diversifying production and reducing dependence on some traditional crops, such as citrus, especially on small lands or home gardens. An important supplier of foreign currencies, agricultural engineer Mustafa Obaid, spoke to Enab Baladi about the importance of these crops, considering that they contribute to supporting the national economy by exporting them and securing an important resource of foreign currencies, which enhances agricultural income and helps improve the country’s trade balance. Avocados are more successful. Avocados, mango, cream, and papaya are the most widespread tropical fruits on the coast, according to Obaid, noting that current experience has concluded that avocados are among the most successful and stable crops in terms of production and market demand. The experiment is “promising.” Obaid advised farmers to choose varieties suitable for the local climate, pay attention to irrigation and fertilization management, in addition to not expanding randomly before studying the market, pointing out that the experiment is promising in general, but it requires scientific management and good planning. Obaid concluded his speech by saying that these crops provide new products with high nutritional value in the local market, and they also reduce dependence on imports, which reflects positively on the diversity and quality of food for the consumer. Nutritional value: Clinical nutritionist Dr. Nour Qahwaji told Enab Baladi that tropical fruits, such as mango, pineapple, and papaya, contain beneficial vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium, and in some cases they may be superior to regular fruits because they contain powerful antioxidants. Qahwaji added that regular fruits, such as apples, oranges, and pears, also contain valuable nutritional benefits, but tropical fruits are characterized by a higher percentage of vitamins and minerals, which may not be available in the same percentage in regular fruits, such as vitamin “E” in papaya or carotenoids in mango. Caring for papaya trees in the Tropical Maghara Park near Al-Balata Al-Gharbiyya in the countryside of Tartous – September 15, 2025 (Enab Baladi) “Agriculture” examines the motives. The Director of Agriculture in Tartous Governorate, Muhammad Adnan Ahmed, in an interview with Enab Baladi, attributed the main reason for the move towards tropical agriculture to the high costs of production requirements in other crops, especially protected ones, accompanied by a decrease in the prices of the final product at times of peak production. The above reflects negatively on the farms, according to Ahmed, as the economic returns for farmers decline with the accumulation of deficits and debts, and thus the inability to continue traditional agricultural work, and the search for alternatives such as tropical crops of all kinds, which, if successful, achieve a high economic return, due to the high prices of the crop compared to the costs of production. Ahmed confirmed that there is no plan approved by the Ministry of Agriculture for tropical crops in Tartous Governorate, given that the appropriate environment for them is the tropical and subtropical environment, which provides high temperatures and rainfall during all stages of growth. Governmental evaluation of the experiment On evaluating the experience of relatively recent tropical crops and the role that the directorate seeks to enhance, Ahmed said that there is no research or scientific body yet that confirms the success of these crops in the coastal environment, indicating that the region is exposed almost annually to periods of frost of varying intensity and duration, which may cause the death of tropical plants. On the other hand, these plants need large amounts of irrigation water, which causes a large water burden, according to Ahmed, especially since Syria witnessed during the last ten years a decline in rainfall rates, which prompted the implementation of water rationing, especially on summer crops within the agricultural plan. Regarding the measures taken to make tropical agriculture a success without affecting the reality of traditional agriculture, Ahmed said that the Directorate is following up these crops technically through the divisions and extension units, in addition to providing all necessary guidance to farmers to mitigate environmental influences and disease and insect pests in order to achieve the best yield. “Agriculture” supports “traditional” The Director of Tartous Agriculture stressed the importance of moving towards strategic crops that are compatible with the climatic conditions of the region, especially olives and citrus fruits for fruit trees, and protected crops, wheat and potatoes for the rest of the field crops. Ahmed does not believe that these crops have a touristic character, with the exception of one site in the governorate known as the “tropical forest” in the Dwair Sheikh Saad area, considering that their introduction as an alternative to protected agriculture is due to the reasons he mentioned previously. Ahmed pointed out that there is no doubt that the adoption of this agriculture has achieved an abundance of tropical products at lower prices compared to what they were before their cultivation in the governorate, and this has a positive impact on the local consumer, pointing out that consumer culture is still focused on limited types of these crops, the most important of which are bananas, dragons, mangoes and avocados. Future “visions” about the future government plan for these crops. Ahmed said that the Directorate is doing everything possible according to the available capabilities to advance the agricultural situation and develop the production process in line with modern data and approved international standards required in the local and foreign markets for the final product, in order to achieve food security and settle the farmer on his land. The “Tropical Grotto” in Tartous…an agricultural and tourism project. The “Tropical Forest” park forms part of the experience of growing tropical fruits on the Syrian coast, adding to the uniqueness of the experience by combining agriculture and tourism in one place, in the form of a park specialized in tropical trees and plants, which presents the experience to visitors. Along the Tartous-Baniyas International Road, an area of eight thousand square meters transports you from the traffic and smoke of cars to nature, on a journey similar to traveling to another country, landing in a tropical forest, quenching your thirst with a cup of juice with a unique taste, and enjoying tasting different types of exotic fruits. The owner of the Tropical Forest Park in Tartous, Hassan Muhammad, told Enab Baladi that the idea of the project began in 2013 as a result of several factors that helped him enter into an experience that was like an “adventure,” which moved him from working in the field of documentary blogging media to the world of agriculture and tourism. Muhammad was able to transform his plot of land in the village of Balata Gharbiya in the countryside of Tartous into an enchanting forest dotted with papaya, avocado, chocolate, lychee, guava, and many types of bananas, which Syrians were not previously familiar with as a local fruit. Muhammad added that the experience between 2013 and 2018 witnessed many difficulties and risks that reached the point of failure in several aspects of the work, due to the lack of clarity of the idea and its agricultural difficulty, in addition to the weakness of the financial capabilities at that time. In late 2018, signs of success appeared with a rate that did not exceed 30%. At that time, the project owner followed what required him to open up to tourism, through the method of displaying the products and introducing people to them. Muhammad considers that this was an important factor for success and continuity, in addition to networking with tropical fruit growers to buy their products, which created added value and encouraged the increase of proven varieties and the possibility of producing them locally, as the positive impact of the project reached outside Syria. Challenges of decline and stability. The “tropical cave” experience went through several stages in conjunction with the experience of tropical agriculture on the Syrian coast. Muhammad said, its peak was in the first year after the fall of the regime, as the locally produced tropical fruit market witnessed a real test between decline and stability, between species that deserve follow-up and attention, such as mango and avocado, and species whose marketing was dependent on the bad situation of Syria and its isolation from the ocean, such as bananas, indicating that examples of the volatility of the tropical fruit market after liberation are many. Muhammad explained that the experience of the Tropical Forest Park experienced all these circumstances and fluctuations, in terms of production, tourism marketing, and the extent of visitor demand after the country opened up to the world and its products. At the end of the first year of liberation, the results of these changes began to become clear, according to Muhammad, as his agricultural tourism experience showed its stability and the number of visitors doubled, which was generally reflected in the tropical experience in the coastal region, which confirmed its stability and the possibility of growth and the ability to be competitive products with imported products. Unofficial estimates indicate that tropical fruits now cover 10% of the arable land on the Syrian coast, while citrus production has declined by about 20%. The trend towards the tropics is “profitable but worrying,” according to specialists, warning that unregulated expansion may lose Syria’s historical status as an exporter of citrus fruits, calling for additional regulation that preserves agricultural balance. On the other hand, we hear warnings of possible environmental impacts resulting from this rapid transformation, which may lead to ecological imbalances and a decline in biodiversity, and the farmer may find himself losing in both crops if this transformation is not managed carefully. With all these agricultural transformations in the Sahel, it seems clear that tropical fruits are no longer just an individual experience, but rather have become a trend that is gaining momentum from the ground up. However, the absence of institutional organization and sufficient technical support may make this transformation a double-edged sword. Therefore, the concerned authorities must move towards preparing a new agricultural plan, experts advise, that takes into account costs, climate, market and environment. Encouraging alternative crops should not be done at the expense of agricultural diversity, such as citrus cultivation, which remains part of the Sahel’s agricultural identity. Related
