Hasakah, Sept. 17 (SANA)Farmers inSyria’s Hasakah province have begun harvesting acottoncrop expected to yield about 45,000 tonnes after the planted area reached 11,898 hectares (118.98 square kilometers), roughly 63% above the season’s target, an agriculture official said.

Cotton picking began in southern Hasakah on Sept. 16 and is expected to start in northern, northwestern and eastern parts of the province within about 10 days as the crop reaches maturity, Ezz al-Din al-Hassou, deputy director of the HasakahAgricultureDirectorate, told SANA.

Farmers planted about 11,898 hectares (118.98 square kilometers) of cotton this season, compared with a planned 7,300 hectares (73 square kilometers), al-Hassou said. That puts the planted area about 4,598 hectares (45.98 square kilometers), or 63%, above the target.

Total production in the province is estimated at around 45,000 tonnes.

National cotton output expected to rise

At the national level, the Agriculture Ministry said in August that about 26,593 hectares (265.93 square kilometers) had been planted with cotton this season, compared with 25,810 hectares (258.10 square kilometers) last season.

Preliminary estimates put production at around 79,467 tonnes, up from 69,587 tonnes last season.

Al-Hassou said the Hasakah crop was generally in good condition, helped by favorable weather throughout the growing season and through the maturation and harvest stages.

Some fields experienced limited insect infestations and fungal diseases, but the affected areas remained small and did not significantly affect the overall condition of the crop, he said.

The Agriculture Ministry has said cotton cultivation faced broader challenges this season, including lower temperatures and rainfall through May that delayed planting, as well as reduced irrigation water, higher production costs and damage to irrigation infrastructure.

Some planted areas were also affected by rising water levels in the Euphrates River.

Authorities are working to expand modern irrigation methods, including drip irrigation, to reduce water consumption and improve productivity.

Improved varieties support production

Agricultural research programs have developed six approved locally bred cotton varieties currently in cultivation, selected for characteristics including higher productivity, earlier maturity and greater tolerance to heat, water stress, diseases and insect pests.

The ministry has said increasing cotton production is important for supplying Syria’s ginning, spinning and textile industries with raw material, with surplus high-quality ginned cotton potentially available for export.

In Hasakah, harvesting is carried out in three successive rounds according to the maturity and opening of the cotton bolls. The first picking typically accounts for the largest share of production, with the remaining crop collected in subsequent rounds.