Syria’s wheat production falls to only 11 thousand tons

Syria’s production of wheat declined to unprecedented levels.
The governorate, whose production has reached two and a half million tons, will not exceed 11 thousand tons this year.
the least
The head of the grain marketing office in the Al-Hasakah Farmers Union, Jalal Al-Koko, told “Hashtag” that the state’s share of wheat production this year will not exceed 11 thousand tons of wheat.
He said that this year it is the lowest among the past years, and that what has been received so far is a little more than 10 thousand tons.
While the quantities received by the “Autonomous Administration” in Al-Hasakah, according to their data, amounted to 320 thousand tons, and they expect the received quantities of the crop to reach 600 thousand tons.
Sources from the Al-Hasakah Agriculture Directorate stated to the Hashtag that the quantities received by the “Autonomous Administration” include the production of their areas of control in each of the governorates of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Al-Hasakah.
Zero production
Al-Koko indicated that the production of Al-Hasakah this year of rain-fed wheat is zero, due to the lack of rain.
Al-Koko said that the largest proportion of al-Hasakah’s production is rain-fed wheat, estimated at 300,000 hectares, all of which are outside the control of the state.
While the irrigated areas amount to 100,000 hectares, the largest part of it is currently outside the control of the Syrian state.
Al-Koko said that production is only from the area controlled by the state, which amounts to about 20 to 30 thousand hectares, and that the state buys wheat from the areas controlled by the Syrian Arab Army.
Those who transfer their production from other regions are done secretly due to the coercive measures imposed by the “Self-Administration”.
for these reasons
As for the reasons that prevent farmers from delivering their wheat production, Koko said there are many reasons, including:
The price difference, as the price of a kilo of wheat determined by the “Self-Administration” reaches 2,200 pounds, while the official price is 2100 pounds.
In addition, the “self-management” receiving centers for wheat are spread throughout the governorate.
For example, the production of wheat from the Al-Maliki region is received from the producers in Al-Maliki, while whoever wants to hand it over to the Syrian state must transport it for a distance of not less than 100 km..
Likewise, whoever wants to transfer the crop from Qamishli to Shadada, he must move it a distance of no less than 200 km, according to the source in the Ministry of Agriculture.
The source indicated that among the facilitating conditions provided by the Autonomous Administration for receiving wheat is also receiving it, whether it is “unpacked” or packed in bags, while the Syrian government requires delivery of wheat only.
Meanwhile, Al-Koko added that the “Self-Administration” requires those who provide them with the most available fuels, to hand over their wheat production to them.
However, the main reason for not handing over wheat to the state, according to Al-Koko, is the “Autonomous Administration’s” strictness in punishing those who deliver wheat to the state, as it is strictly forbidden to transfer grain outside its areas.
Lack of supplies
Regarding the reasons for the decline in production, Al-Koko said that the decline in the cultivated areas allocated to the Syrian state is due to the lack of many production requirements, especially electricity, energy materials and spare parts, due to the strict sanctions imposed on Syria.

Yousra Deeb