Mohammad al-Raee (35 years old) walks around his nursery to inspect his crops, some of which have begun to dry and drop their leaves, signaling the approach of winter, as he feels the obstacles posed by the drop in temperature in caring for summer seedlings.

Al-Raee inherited the farming profession from his father and grandfather and mastered it early on, relying on it as a profession and a source of income for his family. He started setting up a nursery in his village, al-Bara, in Jabal al-Zawiya in Idlib, and then moved the plants to the outskirts of the city of Idlib after he was displaced.

With the drop in temperatures, nursery owners face several issues concerning summer seedlings and ornamental plants, such as basil, pomegranate blossom, aromatic plants, and coleus blumei, preferring to dispose of them and re-buy them in their season, as al-Raee explained to Enab Baladi.

Heating and providing a suitable environment for the continuity of seedlings is a process that costs several times more than re-purchasing them in their season.

Fuel prices rise with the onset of winter, with the price of a barrel of diesel (225 liters) ranging between $140 and $155, while the price of a ton of firewood ranges between $140 and $180. The price of a ton of olive pomace (a flammable material made from the leftover of olives after pressing them to extract olive oil) reaches $125.

As for the foliage plants, or “salon plants” like pothos or devil’s ivy plant, rubber plant, schefflera, peace lily, and royal plant, etc., they are marketed during their season because their spoilage in the nursery due to cold weather represents a financial burden, given their high prices and the substantial care costs required.

Al-Raee sees that the biggest barrier to the profession is the issue of providing irrigation water, given the lack of a constant water supply in the city of Idlib.

He is forced to buy water from tankers that are currently experiencing a severe crisis and increased demand due to the stoppage of the water network in the city, which means a decrease in profit margins.

The nurseries help introduce new plant varieties that adapt to the weather conditions – October 24, 2024 (Enab Baladi/Samah Alloush)

Imported and local varieties

Nursery owners import types of European plants, of Turkish origin, that are in high demand, such as lemons, dwarf oranges and certain types of olives.

They also grow a lot of local crops, such as apples, pears, and other seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Al-Raee seeks to introduce new crops to his nursery that accommodate different climatic conditions, having begun to plant and grow tropical papaya.

Papaya combines the taste of mango and melon, grows and yields rapidly (in about less than a year), and is considered an expensive fruit.

Recently, the cultivation of dragon fruit from the cactus family has succeeded in northern Syria.

The lands of the al-Ghab Plain are suitable for its cultivation due to their warm nature, and al-Raee managed to propagate it through seedlings.

An ornamental plant called pothos or devil’s ivy is visible in one of the nurseries – October 24, 2024 (Enab Baladi/Samah Alloush)

Different marketing places

Raghda al-Hassan, a displaced woman from the countryside of Maarat al-Numan residing in the city of Idlib, told Enab Baladi that she turned her home balcony into a garden of ornamental plants like tradescantia, cestrum nocturnum, and aptenia cordifolia, among others.

The scent of the flowers brings al-Hassan back to her village and land where she used to grow what she wanted.

Al-Hassan buys seedlings of these plants while they are small, at a lower price, as the price increases as the seedlings grow, with there being high-priced varieties already, such as the Gardenia seedling, which ranges between 150 and 200 Syrian pounds.

The agricultural sector in northern Syria has witnessed a decline due to war conditions, the continuous displacement of farmers, and the destruction of irrigation infrastructure as a result of indiscriminate bombardment and unpredictable climatic changes, such as heat waves and frost that cause severe losses.

Some pure agricultural varieties and varieties produced from seed propagation have disappeared, so farmers and nursery owners have resorted to importing alternative varieties that fit the climatic environment and are economically feasible.

Agriculture provides job opportunities for many in light of the deteriorating economic situation in northern Syria.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) assessment of humanitarian needs in northwest Syria, 5.1 million people live in northwest Syria, including 4.27 million in need of humanitarian assistance, while aid has reached only 920,000 people, or 27% of those in need.

Difficult challenges

Agricultural engineer Wissam Abd El-Aal noted the recent spread of certain crops, like safflower, black seed, cumin, fennel, and anise, which has caused a setback in some crops such as wheat.

The agricultural engineer explained to Enab Baladi that climatic challenges are among the most significant problems facing farmers, causing drought, epidemics, and spreading agricultural pests, stressing that agricultural guidance has been relatively active recently, albeit within limited capabilities that do not suffice.

Other challenges include the high cost of solar energy systems to extract irrigation water in the absence of government support, after there were facilities that enabled farmers to access irrigation water, such as the Ain al-Zarqa station, which used to pump irrigation water to the al-Rouj Plain.

Some farmers have relied on protected agriculture due to its advantages, as it protects plants from climatic conditions and ensures a sustainable source of income.

The lifespan of plastic covering ranges from two to three years, allowing for year-round cultivation during two seasons, fall and spring.

However, the entry of imported varieties has significantly affected local production, reducing profit margins.

The nurseries help introduce new plant varieties that adapt to the weather conditions – October 24, 2024 (Enab Baladi/Samah Alloush)

To ensure the sustainability of nursery owners’ work, Engineer Abd El-Aal offered some advice such as relying on varieties resistant to frost and cold that meet the local market’s needs at a reasonable production cost and avoiding costly varieties with limited demand.

Additionally, it is advisable to use heating in plastic houses through rationing, benefiting from the sun’s heat in the fall and spring, and using an insulating nylon cover from the inside that allows heat and necessary ventilation to enter.

Regarding the cultivation of some tropical varieties and others, the engineer emphasized the need for such experiments to be subjected to study by specialists, such as studying climate, water needs, and soil, as well as market acceptance and its need for those varieties.