Agriculture in Basra.. 6 challenges and obstacles facing its development plan

[size=52]Agriculture in Basra.. 6 challenges and obstacles facing its development plan[/size]

[size=45]The agricultural sector in Basra Governorate suffers from a lack of liquidity and financial allocations, which directly affected lands, agricultural fields and orchards in terms of razing, desertification and high salt concentrations, which led to the reluctance of most farmers to develop their agricultural lands.[/size]
[size=45]The assistant governor of Basra for district and sub-district affairs, Arab Al-Jazaery, said in a press statement, that “a great deal of neglect has been indicated towards agricultural lands in the province of Basra,” stressing that “the agricultural sector needs financial liquidity to advance its marginalized reality, and there is nothing that encourages and supports the farmer in order to revive and revitalization of fields and orchards.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Jazaery added, "There is an urgent need for financial allocations to address desertification and the salt tide in terms of eliminating salt concentrations that directly affected agricultural lands, which are an important interface for the city."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that "the governorate has developed a large plan to develop the agricultural sector in the governorate, in order to encourage the local product," noting that "the revival of this file requires sufficient financial liquidity to cover all the needs of the farmer to develop orchards and agricultural fields."[/size]
[size=45]two agricultural projects[/size]
[size=45]In the same context, the mayor of the Shatt al-Arab district, Haider Tohma Khudair, said that “the agricultural file in Basra governorate needs to encourage the farmer to develop his lands and orchards, and for that the district has drawn up a plan to implement two projects (the first: the irrigation canal project) and (the second: under implementation). Concerning the work of Muzzal)”, expressing his hope that the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources will “set a plan for cultivating border areas outside the basic design and adjacent to the Iranian borders, after the process of clearing them of mines.”[/size]
[size=45]agricultural plan[/size]
[size=45]Regarding the prepared agricultural plan, the Qaimqam explained that “a seasonal and annual agricultural plan has been prepared, that is, it is renewed every year and includes several axes. This plan depends mainly on the cultivation of field crops, that is, the cultivation of wheat, barley, jet and alfalfa, in very large quantities and with continuous and serious follow-up to all palm orchards, especially in the regions The border area extends from (Al-Houta to Al-Zariji), and the plan also includes supporting sheep, livestock and buffalo breeders and providing fodder.”[/size]
[size=45]Khudair continued, "The agricultural sector in the governorate faces many challenges and difficulties, the most important of which is the fragmentation of agricultural lands (orchards) due to the inability to implement (Resolution 634 of 1980) and the withdrawal of powers from the head of the administrative unit (penal), which would limit this phenomenon in a way. Another major obstacle is the low price of the (dates) crop, as the price of the crop reached a rate that does not match the services to be provided to the palm tree, accompanied by a decrease in the sale of inter-leaf crops due to their coming from other governorates, and these are the first four challenges.[/size]
[size=45]And he added: “There are also a fifth and sixth handicapped facing agriculture in Basra Governorate, which are the fluctuating high concentrations of salinity due to the absence of a clear water policy combined, which led to the farmer’s reluctance to maintain his orchards and resorting to quick profit by selling and heading to real estate offices that break them up, and an obstacle to incorporating the basic design The updated version of Basra Governorate for most of the agricultural districts, which encouraged illegally changing the sex of the property.[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that "the local crop is also a green sector, or rather a green belt," calling on the state to "support it, especially since the water policy of the Ministry of Water Resources is not encouraging."[/size]
[size=45]water shortage[/size]
[size=45]With regard to the water scarcity file, the Director of Water Resources in Basra Governorate, Jumaa Shaya, explained that “the Ministry of Water Resources is serious about delivering the full water quota to the Basra Governorate, and (90 cubic meters) is currently being released from Salih Castle, and this process has been cut off since the 1990s.” .[/size]
[size=45]And he indicated, "Sometimes, the concentration of salts reaches from (3000 to 4000), specifically in the Al-Siba district, and to address this, an (irrigation channel) has been placed, whose discharge is (25 cubic meters per second)."[/size]
[size=45]Shaya continued: “To address the problem of water scarcity, we sent a letter to the Ministry of Municipalities to put pumps on the irrigation canal to feed all areas that suffer from water scarcity, especially Al-Siba district and Al-Faw district, and we obtained the approval of the Ministry in this regard. , in order to transfer water through them from the irrigation canal to all agricultural lands in other regions, as well as residential lands, and even to the farthest point from the Iraqi-Iranian border.”[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that "the closure of the Karun River affected the water directly and significantly. Thus, our ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held several meetings with the Iranian side to obtain a share of the Karun River, especially since the impact of cutting off the Karun River water on us is very large and negative, as Karun is near (Umm al-Rasas Island). And its direct impact on our agricultural lands.”[/size]
[size=45]desertification[/size]
[size=45]Regarding addressing the issue of desertification, the Director of Water Resources said, “This matter requires a large financial liquidity to be granted to the Ministry of Agriculture to treat and eliminate desertification, knowing that we feed oil (15 cubic meters) and (4 cubic meters of electricity), in addition to producing liquefaction plants. Throughout Basra Governorate, we are also feeding all agricultural and industrial lands, where they are provided with free water, and it is expected that the issue of desertification will be addressed soon.”[/size]
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