Turkish plastic greenhouse project in Tartous raises questions

The Tartous Directorate of Agriculture has begun leveling the land designated for the construction of 50 plastic greenhouses in the governorate. The project is being provided as a grant from Turkey, and the two sides have agreed on a location for the plastic greenhouses.

Preparatory work began following field visits by a Turkish delegation, accompanied by Tartous Agriculture Director Mohammed Ahmad, to inspect sites proposed by the directorate for the free installation of the greenhouses.

On October 6, a Turkish delegation visited the Baniyas area in the Tartous countryside. The tour included the “Green Gold” project, the Almasa nursery, which specializes in producing medicinal and aromatic plant seedlings, and an organic fertilizer production unit. The delegation also examined ways to benefit from agricultural waste and recycle it for use in production.

The delegation included Turkish Agriculture Minister’s adviser Mohammed Sırcı and Ilhan Aydın, an adviser to the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA).

The currently selected site is located on state-owned land near the entrance to Tartous city, beyond the vegetable market bridge, alongside the international highway and the main vegetable market. The location was chosen because of its accessibility and the availability of water and electricity.

According to the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture under the transitional government, the project falls under a grant provided by the Turkish government. It aims to transfer Turkish expertise and experience in protected agriculture, familiarize farmers with methods for constructing and operating plastic greenhouses, and introduce modern technologies to help develop agricultural production, increase efficiency and improve quality.

Turkish Model: What Is New?

In a previous statement to SANA, Tartous Agriculture Director Mohammed Ahmad said the greenhouses would be built under the supervision of Turkish experts, with the participation of technicians from the Directorate of Agriculture.

A specialized team from the directorate will monitor the project, oversee its implementation and evaluate its results before presenting them to farmers to determine whether the experiment has been successful and whether it can be replicated across the governorate.

However, agricultural experts and farmers who spoke to our agency, ANHA, argue that introducing the Turkish model does not, in itself, address the fundamental problems facing the sector. They point out that plastic greenhouses used in Syria have relied for decades on techniques broadly similar to those of the traditional model used in Turkey.

An agricultural expert and retired agricultural extension director, who requested anonymity, told our agency that the initiative raises questions. He noted that Syria began practicing protected agriculture in 1980 and argued that Turkey is not necessarily more advanced than Syria in this field.

He added that Syrian farmers are familiar with greenhouse operations and keep up with modern agricultural technologies. The main problem.

The expert explained that the traditional Syrian and Turkish models are largely similar. Both rely on individual or connected plastic greenhouses with metal frames covered in polyethylene, natural ventilation, drip irrigation and direct planting in the soil. These are the same methods used in Syria’s protected agriculture sector.

Farmers: Our Problems Are Marketing and Costs, Not Greenhouse Design

Farmer Badr Mohammed, for his part, mocked claims that the Turkish experiment represents a “different” model, asking, “What distinguishes the Turkish model from the Syrian one? The curve of the arch, for example?”

He added in a statement to our agency: “If the seeds used or available in the region are accessible to everyone, fertilizers are available to everyone, and drip irrigation is already in use, even water-efficient greenhouses are common. Temperature, humidity and light sensors, among other devices, have also become available to everyone.”

He explained that farmers’ main problem is not low productivity but difficulties marketing their produce, the high cost of production inputs, and the lack of fuel and electricity. He noted that Syria has a surplus of agricultural produce and argued that the priority should be to secure markets for selling it and ease the burden on producers.

Mohammed warned that the initiative could begin by providing free greenhouses and later be promoted through agricultural cooperatives in a way that might lead farmers to work for other parties. Those parties could then purchase their produce at low prices before exporting it and selling it at international market prices.

These concerns echo those raised by the retired agricultural expert regarding coastal Syrian farmers’ experience under the former regime, particularly in the citrus sector. According to his account, some farmers were forced to uproot their trees and replace them with other crops because of difficulties marketing their produce and restrictions on establishing juice-processing factories along the Syrian coast.

The expert added that another concern is that agricultural exports could eventually become dependent on Turkish traders or companies, or that crops purchased from Syrian farmers could be exported abroad and sold as Turkish products.

Large Sector Facing Longstanding Challenges

These questions take on added significance given the scale of protected agriculture along Syria’s coast, particularly in Tartous Governorate, a major center for this activity. Tens of thousands of families depend on the sector for their livelihoods.

According to Maher al-Daj, director of plant production at the Ministry of Agriculture, Syria has 522,175 greenhouses in production, including 143,763 in Tartous, accounting for approximately 82 percent of the national total. Latakia follows with 15,719 greenhouses, while Homs has 13,706.

Tomatoes account for the largest share of crops grown in greenhouses, with 87,121 greenhouses dedicated to their cultivation. Strawberries come next, with 18,765 greenhouses, followed by cucumbers, grown in 17,701 greenhouses. Eggplants account for 16,391 greenhouses, while peppers are grown in 15,052. Another 7,614 greenhouses are dedicated to tropical crops.

In a report published by SANA early this year, the Ministry of Agriculture said protected agriculture in Tartous provides a livelihood for more than 30,000 families, meets local market demand and generates a surplus for export.

The agriculture director at the time estimated that the governorate had around 150,000 greenhouses, concentrated mainly in Tartous and Baniyas.

According to official data, statements and local reports, this sector faces several challenges, including the rising costs of constructing greenhouses and purchasing production inputs, falling prices during peak production periods, weak export marketing, and damage caused by storms, frost and extreme weather events.

Farmers say that ploughing the land costs around 200,000 Syrian pounds per greenhouse, while a roll of transparent plastic sheeting costs approximately $260. Equipping an eggplant greenhouse costs around six million Syrian pounds, while preparing a tomato greenhouse costs approximately eight million pounds, before production begins and excluding electricity and irrigation expenses.

In statements to ANHA agency, farmers said that the cost of constructing and equipping a plastic greenhouse for cultivation exceeds $4,000. Meanwhile, operating, maintenance, heating, irrigation and marketing expenses remain ongoing financial burdens throughout the growing season.

Support for the Turkish Project Versus Farmers’ Demands

While state-owned land has been allocated for the project and the 50 greenhouses are being provided free of charge, with supervision from Turkish experts and technicians from the Directorate of Agriculture, farmers say they continue to struggle to secure production inputs, electricity and fuel. They also say they receive insufficient support in relation to the scale of the financial burdens and losses they incur.

The Ministry of Agriculture, meanwhile, says its support for the sector is not limited to the Turkish greenhouse project. Technical staff at agricultural directorates provide farmers with guidance and technical assistance, while agricultural extension units monitor different stages of production and help farmers access compensation from the Fund for Mitigating the Effects of Drought and Natural Disasters, subject to eligibility requirements.

Last March, the ministry announced that the Fund for Mitigating the Effects of Drought and Natural Disasters had approved compensation for 21 farmers in Tartous affected by the “sea dragon” weather phenomenon. The incident damaged 66 greenhouses covering a total area of 26 dunums, with approved compensation amounting to 738,938 Syrian pounds in the new currency.

In January, the Tartous General Electricity Company also announced the cancellation of nighttime power rationing on lines supplying areas with protected agricultural greenhouses. This measure provided between six and 10 hours of electricity, depending on the needs of each area, to help farmers protect their crops from a cold wave.

Concerns over production management, exports and water use

For his part, economic expert Ali Fada warned against exploiting the drought affecting various parts of the world and using the Syrian coast for protected agriculture under the banner of cooperative associations. He cautioned that this could lead to agricultural produce being exported at the expense of local market supplies, while Syrian water resources could be used to grow crops that benefit other parties.

The expert called for imposing a new levy on agricultural exports, to be known as a “water fee,” to calculate the value of clean water used to irrigate vegetables and fruits destined for export. He argued that water is a public resource and that the cost of using it should be taken into account when agricultural products are exported.

ANHA