Mechanization and Training Centers for Agricultural Equipment in Ar-Raqqa – Phase III

Building on the successes of the first two phases, the proposed project “Mechanization and Training Centers for Agricultural Equipment in Ar-Raqqa – Phase III” aims to introduce technical advisory services to the farmers’ Cooperatives (COOPs) to nine (9) villages in the district of Ar-Raqqa under the Stabilization Programme to provide operational, maintenance, and management training to the COOPs for efficient and safe operation of the agricultural machineries supplied by SRTF as well as maintenance of these machineries at the mechanization centers that will be constructed for the targeted COOPs.

The IE will also introduce training workshops for selected members of the COOPs in field mechanization practices, as well as climate- smart irrigation and agriculture awareness training supported by demonstration plots.

In order to obtain the main objectives of this intervention, the implementing entity (IE) will carry out the following activities:

• Assessing the present capacity of the selected cooperatives’ leadership, identify gaps, and accordingly tailor a capacity building package to enhance their technical and managerial skills.
• Constructing nine mechanization and training facilities, furnish them with necessary items to safeguard the agricultural machinery, and deliver agricultural services to member farmers.
• Planning and introducing training workshops for COOPs management members and young community members/ farmers;
• Identify community members who can be recruited and trained as technicians to perform maintenance of the agricultural equipment owned by the cooperatives.
• Provision of climate smart agriculture training to farmers focusing on climate smart irrigation, the training aims at increasing the awareness of the global warming impact and increase farmers willingness to adapt to new irrigation solutions, supported by the demonstration plots with sprinklers irrigation systems.
• Select and train administration staff for record keeping of members, finances and inventory management in each cooperative;
• Support each coops’ leadership in the compilation of machinery use data, schedule for operation and maintenance for the available machinery, and allocation of equipment for the required field operations to COOPmembers as per their needs.
• Plan and oversee the procurement and supply of the necessary inputs required for the efficient operation of each mechanization center

In terms of beneficiaries the 10-month EUR 3,073 million intervention will directly benefit 500 unique farmers who will receive mechanization services from the newly built MTCs during each farming season. Additionally, all the farmers in the nine targets communities and the adjacent communities will have access to the newly built MTCs to positively benefit from the organized and effective planning in agricultural mechanization services provided through the centers;  300 trainees from project communities will be selected for training on the operation and maintenance of the agricultural machinery; while 225  farmers will be trained on climate-smart agriculture, and nine (9) sprinkler irrigation systems are installed as demonstration plots, one per each COOP. And lastly, 63 COOP management members will be trained in administrative and management skills.

For more information on the projects, visit:

The SRTF Announces the Approval of Two New Agriculture Projects in Syria

For more information on the SRTF visit:

http://www.srtfund.org

Media outlets may contact:

communications@srtfund.org