Agriculture body in Syria’s Kobani receives 125,000 tons of wheat
KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – Kobani Agricultural Development Company of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) has received 125,000 tons of wheat so far, a famle official in the company said on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the company stopped receiving wheat in a center near the village of Rofi south the city of Kobani, northern Syria, after yards of the center were filled fully.
Gulistan Sheikh Ahmad, co-chair of Kobani Agricultural Development Company, said that the company is still receiving the wheat in bags from farmers in silos of the town of Sirrin, south of the city.
The Agricultural Community Development Company, is affiliated to Agriculture and Irrigation Board of AANES and it was officially established in 2018, as its main headquarters is in the city of Qamishli, however, its branches are in all areas in northeast the country.
The company offers nitrogen and phosphatic fertilizers for farmers, receive crops of wheat and barley from farmers in soils of the region, milling wheat for bakeries of northeast Syria, and receiving crops of cotton from farmers.
Ahmad added that trucks loaded with bags of wheat are being diverted to the city of Manbij, north Syria, in order to secure the city’s need of wheat.
The Agricultural Development Company started receiving the wheat harvest in Rofi, al-Jalabiya, and Sirrin silos in Kobani countryside.
The official stressed that the company would continue receiving the wheat in bags, without specifying a deadline for the process.
Kobani and its countryside consume about 60,000 tons of wheat, grains and flour, annually.
Northeast Syria’s areas – known as Jazira – were well-known as one of the most fertile agrarian lands, however, the drought in the recent years and the reduction of water by Turkey in addition to the climate change have turned the fertile areas into arid ones and vegetation no longer exists.
This year, the AANES has decided to buy the wheat crops from the farmers at $430 per ton, which is the best price compared to other parts under the government and opposition, but the farmers have another view.
During the 2022-2023 season, about 3.5 million acres of lands were cultivated with wheat in the AANES-held areas.
Rain fed farmlands in the AANES areas exceeded 13 million acres and they were cultivated with wheat and barley.