New Refrigeration Units Boost Farming in Deir ez-Zor
Two new cold storage units have been put into service in the village of Al-Shumaitiyah, located in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor. This initiative, aimed at bolstering the local agricultural sector and supporting farmers, was carried out with support from the organization Oxfam, in collaboration with the European Union, and in coordination with the provincial Directorate of Agriculture and the General Union of Farmers.
The new facilities are designed to improve agricultural working conditions and alleviate financial burdens on local producers. Each unit features a storage capacity of 25 tons, providing a climate-controlled environment to protect agricultural crops and dairy products from spoilage. Such measures are particularly vital for mitigating losses caused by environmental factors, specifically the extreme heat during the summer months, which previously led to rapid product decay.
Abdul Hamid Shalash, head of the Al-Shumaitiyah Association, stated that the units are intended to assist farmers in storing their produce, allowing them to avoid the crisis of spoilage that often forced them to sell their goods at extremely low prices to prevent total losses. Farmers in the region have welcomed the development, noting that they can store their goods for a nominal fee, which covers the operational costs of the cooling system, including fuel and labor. This provides producers with greater flexibility in choosing the most favorable time to market their products.
Local farmer Saleh Mashal Al-Hammoud emphasized that these facilities contribute directly to improving farmers’ earnings. He noted that the units protect producers from the exploitation of merchants who previously took advantage of the farmers’ urgent need to sell their crops quickly before they could spoil.
These facilities are part of a broader series of development and humanitarian efforts aimed at improving infrastructure and public services in the Deir ez-Zor countryside. In a related project, Oxfam recently completed the rehabilitation of the irrigation canal in the village of Hawayij Dhiyab in the western countryside. This project is a vital development for the region, as it improves irrigation for approximately 6,000 dunams of agricultural land and reduces water wastage, thereby strengthening local agricultural activity.
These initiatives are considered part of the institutional efforts to support the sustainability of Syrian agriculture and secure the necessary means to preserve local production. These projects serve to ensure that markets are supplied with fresh agricultural goods while improving the living standards of families who rely primarily on agriculture in the rural areas of Deir ez-Zor.
Source: Syria Focus Arabic
