71-22,471 EL-ZOOBI, Ahmad Mouhamad, 1931- AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN SYRIA, 1955-1968. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1971 Economics, agricultural f ! f. University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan \ I 4 AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND RURAL DEVELOFJOTT IN SYRIA 1955-1368 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Ahmad Mouhamad "El-Soobi, B.Sc, M«Sc. *•••?**•»####* 'ZIQ Ohio State University 1971 Approved By PLEASE NOTE: Some pages have indistinct print. Filmed as received. UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is grateful to Professor Clarence J. Cunningham for his guidance and advice throughout the author's graduate program and in the dvelopment of re­ search reported in this dissertation. Sincere thanks are also extended to other members of the graduate and the reading committees, Professors Ralph E. Bender, William A. V/ayt, Ralph J. Wooden and Leon ''/. Boucher for their wise counsel and their en­ couragement. Appreciation is extended to Professor J. Robert Y/armbrod for his constructive suggestions during the preparation of the research proposal. Aclcaov.'ledgment is extended to the government of Syria for the special permission granted to the author to come to the United States of America on the United Nations special fund's grant (the Ghab special fund de­ velopment project) to the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform. Acknowledgment is also extended to the FAO of the United Nations, the College of Agriculture and Home Economics of the Ohio State University, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in Syria for their facilities. 11 The author wishes to extend appreciation to the principal and staff members of the elementary North- wood school in Columbus, Ohio for their generousity with his children. The author personal thanks are extended to Mr. T. G. Moir, Mr. Mouhammed S. Khan, Mr. Mahmoud Said, Mr. Hassan Attar, Mr. Marcus Bowen, Mrs. Emma Bowen, Mr. Hassan Heraki, Mr. H. S. Everitt, Mr. N. P. Car­ penter, Miss. Ruth Smith and Miss. Barbra Tanner for their help and sympathy. Last but not the least, the author would like to express his special gratitude to his wife Nabila; sons, Khaldoun, Ahmed Samer, Majd for their excellent adjust­ ment, patience and inspiration throughout the period of the graduate program. iii VITA September 28, 1931 Born—Tayba, Darra, Syria 1955 B.S c•, A in shams Univers ity of Cairo, Bgypt. Head of The Agricultural 1956 Experiment Station, Talshab, Darra, Syria Head of Agricultural 1958 Services for Darra Governerate, Syria Head of Agricultural 1960 Services for Aleppo Governerate, Syria 1964 K.Sc, in Agr. Extension, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, U.S.A. 1965 First Assistant Director General of The Agrarian Reform, Damascus, Syria 1965 Director General of The Agrarian Reform Founda­ tion, Damascus, Syria 1966-1968 President of the Syndicate of Agricultural Engineers, Syria 1967-1969 Secretary General of The Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Damascus, Syria iv PUBLICATIONS Poultry Production In Syria Socialism Transformation In Syria The Integration Of Agricultural Production In Syria Poultry Feeding In Syrian Villages Series of Articles In The Agrarian Reform Magazine, 1965,1966 UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS Co-Author of The Ghab Region, Its Development, and Legislations Co..Author of The Agrarian Reform Through Legislations and Actions in The Syrian Arab Republic Co-ops Movement in Syria. Paper Presented at the 14th Session of The FAO, Rome, Italy, Nov. 1967 Roles of The Agrarian Reform in the Development of Rural Areas in The Syrian Ar?b Republic. Paper Presented, at The World Agrarian Reform Con­ ference, Held in Rome 20 June - 2 July, 1966, Rome, 1960 v FIELDS OF STUDY MAJOR FIELD: Agricultural Extension Studies in Extension Program Development, Exten­ sion Leadership Development, end Extension Re­ search V/ork. Professor Clarence J. Cunningham. Studies in Extension Teaching Methods, Extension Administration, and Agricultural Vocational Training. Frofessor Ralph E. Bender, MINOR FIELDS: Studies in Communication, and Diffusion Process in Extension V.'ork, Professor Ralph J. Wooden. Studies in Agricultural Economics with Emphasis on Land Economics and Agricultural Development. Professor vmiiam A. -V'ayt. vi . CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii VITA iv LIST OF TABLES xiv LIST OF GRAPHS xviii LIST OF CHARTS xx LIST OF MAPS xx CHAPTER I NATURE OF THE STUDY 1 Statement of the Problem ........ 1 The Need for the Study • 3 Objectives • 4 Assumptions ...«......«••«••••..*.•..•• 5 Definitions of Terms • •«•••<>. •••.....•• 6 Agricultural and Rural Development •. 6 Syrian Lira , . •. • • 6 Hectare ....••...*••• .. ..»..•••• 6 Developing Countries .. 6 Agricultural Extension Organizations. 6 Agricultural Extension Education •,•• 7 Agricultural Cooperative Extension Program ........ ........ 7 Economic and Social Institutes ...... 7 Community .,.,........• »• 8 Village . 8 Man-land Relationship . •,. .... 8 "'.el/XlOCLOlOgy • «««•«»•»•.•«...««..«.«.«.• O bSJ-ficxsQ variaDies »...«..«.»....«.«.«. J»V> Variables on Agricultural Extension xrogram **««..*««.9eo*.«.9oo«4«.«.«. J-U Variables on Agricultural Development 10* Variables on Economic Development «•« 11 Variables on Socio-economic Develop­ ment t ..••...•«..•• • o a o a . « . » » o ... 11 vii CONTENTS--(Continued) Chapter Page I (Continued) Variables on the Introduction of Technology *.............«... 11 II BELATED RESEARCH, STUDIES AND EXPERIENCES. 12 Education, Employment, and Development . 12 Agricultural Vocational Education •••••• 18 Agricultural Extension Education „ 22 Diffusion Process and Adoption of knowl­ edge 27 Extension Leadership .......••• 31 III BACK GROUND SITUATION OF SYRIA 33 The History of Agriculture ............. 33 The Ancient History (B.C.) ........... 33 The Arabic Era (700 ..1300) 33 The Ottoman Colonization (1516-1914) . 33 Independence (1945 ) 34 The Cultural Environment , 35 Population Traits I ° 35 Agrarian Communities ...»....»•.*••••••• 36 Village Community o... • 36 Tribal Community ..*.<,..... • 36 The Social System •...«........... ««««•• 37 Values Other Than Government ....,...• 37 Economic Mobility ..•*.....»«..<> • 38 Education in Syria ......... .....•«.... • 39 College Education .................... 40 Secondary Education ..»•••...••....... 41 Vocational Education ............«.»•• 41 Primary Education ••««................ 43 Agricultural Vocational Education ..„a 43 Illiteracy < • * « 44 Health and Medical Services ........»•,• 46 Fnysical Resources and Natural Ecology • 47 viii C0NTIENT3--(Continued) Chapter Page III (Continued) Location * • 47 Climate 47 Humidity 47 Temperature .«..•• 47 Rainfall 48 Altitude Above Sea Level 49 Agricultural Climatic Zones .....,.•• 49 Water Resources . •.. • 52 Mineral Resources .............. 53 Power, Transportation, and Communication 54 Power ..»••«.« . • e 54 Transportation »«..••...•••• 54 The Economic System 56 Sectoral National Income •• • 56 The Economically Active Population •• 57 The Marketing System „ • 57 Wages and Salaries .................. 60 Social Security and Welfare Program . 61 Taxation .. .......»......»...... 61 IV AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ......... .62 Economic Status of Agriculture „• 62 The Agricultural Land 66 The Cultivated Land -.-.... 67 The Agricultural Population ..... *..... 69 Land-Man Ratio ........ .. <> • • • 70 Employment and Under Employment „ „,., 71 Per-Capita Income .0....«.a.«.,><,....» 73 Agricultural Production ......•• 75 Field Crop Production ..*...••.•..•<.„ 76 ProductionofVegetab3.es • 79 Fruit Production • 83 Industrial Cash Crops 91 Animal Production 95 IX CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter Page IV (Continued) Milk and Meat Production 96 Poultry Production .....••• 97 Development of Agricultural Planning •• 98 The First Agricultural Five Year Plan 103 The Second Five Year Plan , 105 The Administrative Arrangements of the Agricultural Second Five Year Plan 108 V RURAL INSTITUTIONS DEVSLOFMGNT Ill Agricultural Cooperatives Ill The Development of Agricultural Co­ operatives in the Ministry of Agri­ culture 113 The Development of Agricultural Co­ operatives in the Agrarian Reform • 119 The Agrarian Reform . •. • * 129 Land Ownership Prior to the Agrarian Reform ,., 130 The Implementation of the Agrarian Reform 136 Land Distribution Techniques ••••»••• 145 Agricultural Extension Activities in the Agrarian Reform ... ..«<,»»,»••..»• 147 Agricultural Cooperative Conferences. 149 Industrial Training ,.»91 ,<>.». o., .<,<><.. 150 Control of Illiteracy <,o.<>a«oj,,*<.«•• 152 Specialized Technical Activities „.,. • 154 VT AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION ... • • • • • 156 The Development of Agricultural 3Xten- The Agricultural Extension Organizations 163 The Syrian Administration ••••••••••• 164 The Ministry of Agriculture and Agra­ rian Reform .....t...«.«•« »,••»•.*• 166 :c CONTENTS--(Continued) Chapter . Page VI (Continued) Contribution of the Ministry of "Edu­ cation in the Agricultural Extension ,?/ork . 170 The Role of the Ministry of "Economics in the Agricultural Extension 170 The Contribution of the Ministry of Supply 172 The Contribution of the Ministry of Industry ..,. , 172 The Contribution of the Kinistry of Higher Education 173 The Contribution of the Ministry of Social Affairs 173 The Agricultural Euphrates Project Authority . 174 Agricultural Extension Activities ... 175 Extension I^anpovrer and Financial Source 176 The Extension Activities