Indiscriminate export and lack of projects by the Autonomous Administration make the livestock in RojAva to touch the red lines

Aso-Lorin Sabri

Livestock production in RojAva / Northern and Eastern Syria has declined significantly over the last ten years, and the region, which was characterized by livestock and agriculture, has suffered from poor production, due to multiple factors that have left a significant impact. The crisis that has hit the country since 2011 was among them.

Emad Khalaf, a veterinarian with a master’s degree in veterinary science, attributes the causes of poor animal production to the Syrian war and crisis, and is considered to have led to internal migration from the village to the city.

Khalaf carries on saying to Aso News Network that other reasons for poor livestock production include the lack of the Autonomous Administration support for high-cost feed and drug production projects, the random export of animals for breeding, disease outbreaks among animals, and lack of experience, in the diagnosis of the disease, the failure to determine the appropriate medication for it, in addition to the currency exchange difference between inside and sources of discharge and random export, and the intervention of organizations in veterinary projects in a non-competent.

What makes the situation worse is the presence of vaccines entering the region, without testing or analysis, “which is causing a significant loss in the animal sector,” explains Emad Khalaf.

As for the reality of animal production projects that have shrunk in recent years, Khalaf reiterates that animal production projects are inexpensive and do not require capital. Khalaf says the capital cycle in these projects is fast and does not occupy large areas, in addition to that livestock and agricultural wealth, each influences the other, and one of them develops only with the development of the other.

Abdullah Shukri, an animal production engineer from Qamishlo / Al-Qamishli, blames the weakness of animal production on the Autonomous Administration, explaining to Aso News Network that the role of the Autonomous Administration in preserving livestock is very weak. And the veterinary projects implemented weren’t as required, the random of exporting without monitoring or accountability and the loss of effect on the high price of meat, and the impact on the loss of a large number of animals from sheep, cattle and calves.
Meat prices in RojAva have jumped to around 5,000 Syrian pounds per kilogram in the past few months as exports increased through the Simalka crossing into the Kurdistan region.

Shukri says that the Autonomous Administration does not have any projects that have been systematically studied to protect livestock production. “The Administration does not encourage breeders, but its strategy has contributed to turning breeders into small traders, within a large mafia between the Kurdistan region and RojAva and provide them with facilities.

Shukri considers that the export of sheep and cows females which is the base of animal resources strength and considering exporting them as indiscriminate and illegal.

The Autonomous Administration, represented by Mr. Mohamed Abdellatif, Director of the Livestock Division in Qamishlo, acknowledges that the past ten years have witnessed changes in the level of livestock at an unprecedented pace, returning that to the rural residents who breed animals in an old production system limited to the household food security in those areas.

Abdellatif tells Aso that the Autonomous Administration has tried to improve the reality of animal production by offering large facilities, selling fodder at an affordable price to breeders and granting licenses and approvals for well-considered development projects, which have contributed in part to improving animal production, moreover the approval of veterinarians to open medical centers and pharmacies to sell medicines.
Abdellatif reveals a lack of skills, knowledge and technology and says that no one with the right specializations cooperates with us, because we only offer nominal salaries, which makes the qualified people stay away from us to head to work with the organizations. He added that these are all factors hindering the increase in productivity; the result is that the level of production and productivity is still below the potential available, and the amount of losses can be high for export. Accusing the provincial chambers of commerce of being responsible, because as he said, cutting the form for export and the quality of the source is done there and the economy is responsible for it.

however, one of the veterinarian without revealing his name, said that many doctors have tried to develop livestock, but constant interventions at work and the lack of systematic access to management are an obstacle to the development of this aspect in the region.

After all of these, what are the solutions?

The veterinarian Abbas Amin believes that livestock can be saved by finding enough support to keep pastures in villages, ensuring the requirements of breeders for electricity, water, feed and medicine, and developing plans and laws governing the export process, so as not to affect the prices of meat, and the development of laws to prevent non-governmental organizations Competent to implement veterinary projects, because of their impact in the spread of diseases and epidemics, and the provision of medicines and feed from reliable local sources.

On the good investment of livestock, “Amin” confirm in an interview with Aso News Network, that there must be non-governmental organizations, and non-profit, to promote the animal reality and revitalization.

Animal organizations can raise awareness and provide information, knowledge, guidance and technical support to help produce high-quality animal products, along with improving the livelihoods of the relevant population and meeting the needs of citizens, Amin said. The Autonomous Administration along with NGOs and farmers can do so in order to give ample space to achieve projects to improve livestock and the establishment of feed factories.

According to the statistics of the Autonomous Administration ,Al Jazira has 1,450,000 sheep, 170,000 goats, 75,000 cows, 5,000 buffaloes, 3,500 horses, 800 camels and 8,000 donkeys.

Livestock remains an important key sector, forming 40% of the region’s economy because of its nutritional importance and the dependence of a large number of citizens and breeders on it as a field of work and production, and the provision of livestock is a major support for human food and sources can not be replaced or indispensable.