DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – Saleh al-Ahmad, a resident of Deir ez-Zor Governorate in eastern Syria, is facing a significant challenge in securing the diesel needed to operate his generator to irrigate his cotton crop due to the high prices of fuel in the black market.
Similar to other cotton farmers in the area, al-Ahmad, who is from the village of al-Tar, west of Deir ez-Zor, is facing difficulties in obtaining the required resources to maintain his crops, particularly as he has cultivated large areas of his land with the cotton crop.
The difficulties are compounded as a result of the lack of support provided by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) to the farmers who need large quantities of diesel to irrigate their crops. The situation, in case it continues, will negatively affect the crop, the farmer says.
The AANES was first formed in 2014 in the Kurdish-majority regions of Afrin, Kobani and Qamishli in northern Syria following the withdrawal of the government forces. Later, it was expanded to Manbij, Tabqa, Raqqa, Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor after the SDF defeated ISIS militarily there.
Al-Ahmad, a farmer with over 20 years of experience, said that he has received fuel for irrigation only three times which is not enough to fully irrigate his cotton crops, however, the cotton requires five rounds of irrigation. He complains about the lack of support, including fuel, fertilizers, and agricultural pesticides. He expects the failure of his crop and describes it as very bad.
Cotton is considered as the second the strategic crop after wheat in Syria. It is primarily cultivated in the northeastern part of the country, especially the Euphrates bed, where the majority of the cotton farming land are located.
Cotton farmers typically begin cultivating the crop in mid-March, and they harvest it in late August each year.
Khalaf al-Akla, 60, resident of the village of Safira Tahani, west of Deir ez-Zor, regrets that he has cultivated a large area with cotton.
He said that the farmers had filed multiple complaints regarding the inadequate support, however, the AANES responded narrowly, where the rate of the response was only 10 percent, which was rejected by Deir ez-Zor farmers and peasant associations.
Farming in Deir ez-Zor comes with significant expenses. The prices of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides are all tied with the US dollar exchange rate. Moreover, the cost of fuel has seen a substantial increase due to a decision made by the AANES on July 16 which resulted in a 100 percent price hike.
Farmers face difficulties in acquiring diesel fuel from the black market, where it is being sold at a rate of 2,000 SYP per liter. In contrast, the AANES sells diesel at a lower price of 525 SYP per liter.
Mahmoud al-Abd, head of Farmers Union in Deir ez-Zor, told North Press that the cotton season is currently facing an extremely precarious situation. He called for the urgent need for immediate support from the AANES and various organizations operating in the region to take a swift action to improve the current circumstances and provide direct support to the farmers.
The majority of the residents in Deir ez-Zor relies on agriculture as a primary source of income, but they suffer from a lack of support that has had a negative impact on the economic conditions of the residents.
North Press contacted the Agricultural Community Development Company, a body affiliated with the AANES, for a comment on the situation but in vein.
Farmers in the AANES-held areas experienced profitable returns from cotton cultivation in the previous season, with prices ranging between 600 and 800 US dollars per ton. However, the region lacks available facilities like factories and mills.