Lentils
in Syria
Introduction:
Lentil ( Lens culinaris L.) was first grown in Asia Minor
about 7000 BC.
It is best adapted to production in the cooler temperate zones
of the world, or the winter season in Mediterranean climates
such as that prevailing in the Northern farmlands in Syria.
Lentil is a very important pulse crop in Syria, as it is considered
as an important source of dietary protein for its low- to-
middle income population.
Lentil is grown to improve economic returns to producers,
diversify and lengthen crop rotations, and reduce the requirement
for nitrogen fertilizer.
Lentil, a member of the legume family, Leguminosae, can supply
a significant part of its nitrogen fertility requirement by
fixing nitrogen from the air when properly inoculated.
Cultivation
areas:
Lentil is grown in various regions
in Syria, but most areas under cultivation concentrate in:
-1- The provinces of Aleppo, Idlib,Al Hassakah and Hama which
together account for 80 % of the yearly crop.
-2- The provinces of Damascus and Horan (As Suwayda ) which
account for the remaining 20 % of the yearly crop.
Planting
and Harvesting:
In Syria, Lentil is best planted
during the period of the year falling between mid November
and mid December.
This planting period for Lentil can be extended up to mid
January, depending on local farming know how and weather conditions
permitting.
Harvesting usually starts in the month of May and is conditioned
by the biological maturity of the Lentils stalks, i.e.harvesting
starts before these stalks are too mature and start bursting
and dispersing their content of lentil pulses.
Crop
Yield:
In case the climate conditions
were favorable and the seasonally-adjusted rainfall was adequate,
the crop yield may rise up to 2 Tons / ha.
In general, the average Syrian Lentil crop yield varies between
0.7 and 1.2 Ton /ha.
Statistical data about Lentil
Production in Syria:
According to the Syrian National
Statistics, the total acreage planted with Lentil, for the
year 2003, was 120,000 ha, yielding a total Lentil Production
of 168,000 Tons.
A quick look on the National Statistics reveals that between
1999 and 2003, the total acreage planted with Lentil varied
between 104,000 ha and 123,000 ha with a peak of 147,000 ha
reached in 1999.
It was observed that the total acreage planted with Lentil
varies up and down, in line with the fluctuations of the Lentil
Crop Market Price, and depending on other factors such as
the use of the land to cultivate other crops like Cumin, which
saw a steady increase in the acreage allocated to its planting
over the last 5 years, justified by a high Export Market Demand
for Cumin and hence higher returns to Cumin growers.
Lentil
varieties grown in Syria
The following Lentil varieties
are grown in Syria:
1-“ Kurdi”
variety : usually planted in the north western
and western areas of Syria, around Aleppo and Idlib, where
average annual rainfall is about 350 mm.
The characteristics of this variety are:
• Green Color
• Best Grade pulse
• 1st choice for local consumption (as Mujadarah, a
national recipe cooked with whole pulse lentils )
• Medium Demand for Export Markets.
2-“ Idlib”
variety # 1 - ICARDA : Green Lentil .
3- “Idlib”
variety # 2 – ICARDA: Red Lentil
This last variety is the dominant variety in Syria and accounts
for nearly 80 % of its
total yearly crop.
The characteristics of this variety are:
• Red Color
• Medium & Small grade pulse
• Large scale local consumption
• High Demand for Export Markets ( whole pulse and split
lentil )
• High Yield during the splitting phase.
As a conclusion to this brief
study, we have appended below the FAO data, related
to the world ranking of Lentil Producing and Exporting Countries,
which highlights the good standing of Syria as a significant
player in the World Export Markets for Lentil.
| MAJOR
FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES AND PRODUCERS |
| Countries by commodity
: Lentil --------- ---- year
2004 |
 |
|
1 |
India |
1,100,000 |
*
|
|
2 |
Canada |
938,000 |
|
|
3 |
Turkey |
560,000 |
|
|
4 |
Australia |
220,000 |
F
|
|
5 |
Nepal |
160,000 |
F
|
|
6 |
United
States of America |
154,000 |
F
|
|
7 |
China |
150,000 |
F
|
|
8 |
Syrian
Arab Republic |
125,300 |
|
|
9 |
Bangladesh |
122,000 |
|
|
10 |
Iran
(Islamic Republic of) |
110,000 |
F
|
|
11 |
Ethiopia |
39,000 |
F
|
|
12 |
Morocco |
33,620 |
F
|
|
13 |
Pakistan |
30,000 |
|
|
14 |
Spain |
21,400 |
|
|
15 |
Argentina |
12,500 |
F
|
|
16 |
Russian
Federation |
11,970 |
F
|
|
17 |
Mexico |
8,600 |
F
|
|
18 |
France |
8,000 |
F
|
|
19 |
Peru |
4,850 |
F
|
|
20 |
Yemen |
4,500 |
F
|
|
|
F
= FAO estimate | * = Unofficial figure |
|
|
KEY STATISTICS OF FOOD AND
AGRICULTURE EXTERNAL TRADE
|
| EXPORTS:
Countries
by commodity (sorted by value) : Lentil ---------
---- year 2003 |
|
F = FAO estimate | M = Data
not available | T = Trend calculation | * = Unofficial
figure | Mt = Metric Ton | P=trading partner estimations |
Note:
a Lentil News Bulletin will be edited in this space,
when the relevant data for the 2005 Lentil Crop, will
become available |
|
|
