Yasmeen Gandour (1)*, Ghassan Yaqoub (1) and Ghassan Baddor (1)
(1). Dep. Agricultural Economics., Fac. Agric., Tishreen Univ., Lattakia, Syria1.
(*corresponding: Yasmeen Gandour, E-Mail: Yasmina gandour777@gmail.com).
Received:18/08/2024 Accepted:27/11/2024
Abstract:
The aim of the research is to indentify the reality of citrus production and marketing in Lattakia Governorate for the period (2014_2023) and the production problems it faces. To achieve the previous objectives, the study relied on secondary data issued by the ministry of agriculture and agricultural reform in Syria during the studied period. In addition to the data issued by the directorate of agriculture and agrarian reform in Lattakia governorate. Some information was also obtained from producer and traders in the wholesale markets in the governorate through questionnaires prepared for this purpose. The descriptive analytical method was also use to present and organize the data and then analyze it using some indicators and mathematical relations, in addition to using some statistical programs like SPSS. The research results showed that the area and production of citrus in Syria and lattakia governorate gradually decreased during the studied period. This decline was due to the significant increase in the costs of production inputs, the cutting down of citrus trees, and replacing them with crops that provide better income, such as olives and some tropical crops. In addition to the spread of fires due to weather conditions, which have consumed thousands of hectares, it has been shown that the high marketing costsand the difficulty of marketing the crop abroad have led to surplus of the crop in the markets and the prices not reaching the desired level, in addition to the decrease in the average marketing efficiency of various marketing channels during the studied period, which was about 47.5%. As the results showed, the issue of brokers and intermediaries controlling the market and the high prices of packaging were among the most significant marketing problems facing the producers Meanwhile, the marketing problems facing citrus traders and exporters in Latakia governorate are the high fuel prices and transportation costs , in addition to competition from other countries citrus, such as Turkish and Iranian citrus. Additionally, there is an export issue related to the extended time that refrigerated trucks spend at border crossings, which increases export costs.
Keywords: citrus crops, marketing, production costs, marketing margin.
Full Paper in Arabic: pdf