updated: 12.05.08
pattern
Southern Regional Agricultural Development Project - Phase II

The second phase of the project built on the experiences of first phase of the Southern Regional Agricultural Project and was oriented towards land reclamation. It resulted in the de-rocking of 32,000 ha of land. The project area was expanded beyond Dara’a and Sweida provinces to include the province of Quneitra and rural Damascus.

By reclaiming land for agriculture and by supporting crop and livestock production the project enabled poor farmers to improve their incomes and living standards. Activities included a focus on literacy courses and training in marketing skills for rural women.

Small producers benefited from credit from the Agricultural Cooperative Bank for the purchase of dairy cattle, sheep and Shami dairy goats. The project successfully promoted income-generating activities such as rural poultry and honey production and small-scale cheese processing.

Like the project that preceded it, this initiative resulted in the reversal of a trend towards migration from rural to urban areas.

 

Source: IFAD

In this section
Contact information
Mr Abdelhamid Abdouli
Country programme manager
IFAD
Via Paolo di Dono, 44
00142 Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 0654592248
Fax: +39 0654593248
a.abdouli@ifad.org
Facts and figures

Total cost: US$42.3 million

IFAD loan: US$17.9 million

Cofinancing: Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD)

Duration: 1993-2001

Geographical area: south-western Syria

Directly benefiting: 17,600 households

Status: closed

Partners
  • Government of Syria
  • AFESD
  • UNDP