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Strengthen Extension Services Capacity and Transform It to Become a Market-Oriented Advisory System - TCP/SYR/3802

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Year of publication 2025

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 2

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Project

Category Factsheet

Synopsis (short abstract) The crisis in Syria has severely impacted the national agricultural extension services, resulting in the loss of over 50 percent of qualified technical staff and leaving only about 10 percent of extension units operational. Many units have been destroyed or are inaccessible, and the remaining staff are disconnected from recent advancements in agricultural technology. This has led to a need for updating and enhancing their technical knowledge and skills. The reduction in workforce and resources has also impaired the extension services' ability to collect data, affecting agricultural monitoring and production planning. Additionally, the limited accessibility and the loss of staff have diminished field presence and eroded trust between farmers and extension services. Consequently, farmers now rely on various alternative sources for technical advice and market information, including input dealers, market traders, private advisors and farmer organizations. In this context, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR) sought the assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to strengthen the capacity of extension services, modernize the advisory system, and shift its role from providing technical production advice to facilitating a market-orientated approach to enhance farmers' profitability and income. This assistance was carried out through the current project, which was developed in consultation with the International Cooperation and Planning Directorate and the Agricultural Extension Directorate of the MAAR. This collaboration ensured that the project was tailored to the ministry’s needs and aimed at enhancing the quality and scope of extension services. Finally, the project was aligned with the United Nations Strategic Framework in Syria, contributing to Pillar Two, "Sustainable Socio-economic Recovery," and Pillar Four, "People Resilience and Institutional Responsiveness.".

Language English

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