The liberated Northern Homs countryside, which is located south of Hama governorate and north of Homs city, consists of Talbiseh, Ar-Rastan, and Taldu sub-districts. The total area of cultivable land in liberated Northern Homs countryside is almost 10% of the total area of cultivable land in Homs governorate. The liberated North-ern Homs countryside does not have any border access with neighboring countries and it is besieged by regime and diverse militias checkpoints which impose siege and prevent the introduction of food, medical supplies and consumer products since the seventh of June 2012.

Almost 300,000 of the inhabitants live in the region including regional inhabitants and IDPs from El qusour, Waar and old Homs neighborhoods. People suffer absolute poverty and scarcity of food because the single path available to enter food and consumer products is regime’s checkpoints at five times of their real price. In the fifth year of the siege and with the scarcity of employment opportunities, the prices of food products increased to unprecedented levels and incidents of malnutrition diseases emerged and starvation threats the inhabitants of the region which was famous for farming and considered as a food reservoir for its neighbors because it is located within the first and second agro-ecological zones, hence, agriculture used to be the main source of income for most of its residents.

General Information

Map: Agricultural stabilization zones in the studied region and Homs governorate

Hama

Rural Damascus

Deir-ez-Zor

Ar-RaqqaIdleb Aleppo

Tartous

Lattakia

Damascus

Tadmor

Sokhneh

Qaryatein

Jeb Ej-Jarrah

Hasyaa

Homs

Farqalas

Mahin

Al Quasir

Sadad

Raqama

Al MakhrimTaldu

Shin Ein ElniserTalbiseh

Tall Kalakh Kherbet Tin NoorHadideh

QabuAr-Rastan

Nasra

Taldu Talbiseh

Homs

Ein Elniser

Ar-Rastan

Kherbet Tin Noor

Qabu

Hama

LEBANON

IRAQ

Homs

Study area

RiverStream

Major roadSecondary roadSub-district boundaries

Aleppo

Deir-ez-ZorHama

Ar-RaqqaIdlebLattakia

Tartous

Damascus1,1

01<

1,001

- 1,10

0

901 -

1,00

0

801 -

900

701 -

800

601 -

700

501 -

600

401 -

500

301 -

400

201 -

300

151 -

200

< 150

Annual precipitation rate - mm

Taldu Talbiseh

Homs

Ein Elniser

Ar-Rastan

Kherbet Tin Noor

Qabu

Hama

LEBANON

Homs

Study area

IRAQ

Free Syrian army and some moderate fractions control the region which has been Vulnerable to air and ground bombardment for more than four years.

Map: Agricultural stabilization zones in the studied region and Homs governorate

Figure: Cultivated Land Area

Rural Damascus

Deir-ez-Zor

Hama

Ar-RaqqaIdlebLattakia

Tartous

Damascus

First agro-ecological zoneSecond agro-ecological zoneThird agro-ecological zoneFourth agro-ecological zoneFifth agro-ecological zone

Agro-ecological zones

Taldu Talbiseh

Homs

Ein Elniser

Ar-Rastan

Kherbet Tin Noor

Qabu

Hama

LEBANON

Homs

Study area

• Cultivated land area decreased by 28% due to security problems. • wooded land area decreased by 26% due to fires, drought and firewood collection. • A large portion of the irrigated land turned into rainfed land. • In general, the region currently relies on strategic crops (wheat and barley) and the cultivation of aromatic

plants (cumin, anise, nigella and coriandrum). • The area of land planted with potatoes and vegetables decreased, and olive cultivation has significantly

decreased.

Comparing Cultivated Lands Between 2011 and 2016

Insufficient rainfall, drought and lack of water resources in the region after cutting and disruption of the following irrigation networks:

Difficulty of securing agricultural production requirements and the high cost of seeds, fertilizers, agricultural and veterinary medicines, and agricultural equipment.The high cost of diesel, which contributes to a decrease of irrigated agricultural land area and the farmer inability to do supplementary irrigations for some strategic crops such as wheat, and inability to use well water for irrigation. Poor financial situation of farmers and their inability to fund agricultural projects. Farmers planted more profitable crops such as aromatic crops instead of strategic crops. Many industries that depend on agricultural crops and market them have stopped.Security dangers by the Syrian regime that directly targets crops to reinforce siege and starvation policy. The absence of the regulatory role of public authorities through agricultural extension. The weakness of agricultural mechanization because public authorities do not own agricultural tractors, harvesters, threshers and water tanks.Agricultural soil degradation is not compensated by providing environmentally secure fertilizers and pes-ticides. The significant decline in the cultivated areas with trees as a result of fires and unfair firewood collection and lack of compensating of trees through Nurseries.

1-

2-

3-

4-5-6-7-8-9-

10-

11-

Obstacles and Difficulties Faced by Agriculture Sector in the Study Area

• Homs and Hama main networks.• Houla irrigation network fed by Taldu dam.• The Romanian irrigation canals in the following villages: Dar Kabira, Hobub Elrih, Halmuz, Tir Maallah

and Ghanto. • Projects for dragging water from Orontes river have stopped. • Lack of implementation of new irrigation projects or the use of advanced techniques for the optimal

investment of water resources.

Statistical studies show a significant decrease in the numbers of livestock in general, with the exception of sheep.Livestock

• Nomadic herding of sheep stopped and was replaced by grazing inside the sub-district or even inside the village.

• Lack of promoting sheep and goats outside the sub-district and the inability to buy meat due to poor financial resources of the citizen.

It is worth mentioning that the increase in the number of sheep and goats is much less than natural increase for the following reasons:

bee hivesEgg- laying hens poultrychicken poultry

2011

2016

20,365

7,798

99,355

136,000

115

25

7

--

7,369

1,500

Sheep and Goats CowsYear

• Scarcity and high prices of medicines, vaccines and necessary supplies for livestock.• The absence of central authority that provides advice, guidance and veterinary services for free or at nom-

inal cost. • The difficulty of securing fodder and its high prices. • Insufficient quantities of green fodder due to the general decrease of irrigated areas.• Lack of industrial projects that benefit from the milk.• Spread of communicable and infectious diseases, resulting in the deaths of large numbers of livestock.

Difficulties and Obstacles Faced by the Livestock Sector