Qamishli farmers face major losses as heat wave hits crops
By Nalin Ali
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Farmers in Qamishli countryside, northeast Syria, report losing about 40 percent of this year’s vegetable harvest to an unprecedented heat wave, worsening existing economic strains and underscoring the lack of agricultural support.
In Tel Ma’ruf village, farmer Ibrahim Abdullah described this season as “miserable” compared to previous years. “The high temperatures this year destroyed most of our crops. In the past, we relied on vegetables grown here, but we were forced to buy from other areas after the heat wave ruined them,” Abdullah told North Press.
He said the lack of material and logistical support has further deepened the crisis. Although he owns 300 dunams of farmland, soaring production costs and fuel shortages have kept him from cultivating it fully. “Installing solar panels as an alternative is far too costly,” he added.
Potato cultivation suffered particularly heavy losses. “Half the season went to waste,” Abdullah noted, citing high expenses for labor and fertilizer that failed to yield viable produce. The heat wave forced farmers to sell crops early at low prices despite significant losses.
In Tel Hamis, farmer Diaa al-Din said the combination of fuel shortages, expensive fertilizers, and extreme weather devastated the vegetable season. “Diesel prices are around 6,000 Syrian pounds per liter, which is not enough to meet farming needs and increases our burdens,” he told North Press.
Al-Din added that vegetable prices dropped sharply due to the damage, forcing farmers to cut labor wages by half in an attempt to reduce losses — a step that still failed to offset the financial hit.
Farmer Abbas Mohammed, also from rural Qamishli, said potato cultivation cost him 2,000 Syrian pounds per kilogram, but the crop sold for only 1,500 pounds. “It is a direct loss,” he said, adding that repeated requests for assistance from the Agricultural Board went unanswered.
He stressed that agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides are purchased in US dollars, while produce is sold in Syrian pounds, further eroding farmers’ incomes and making profits nearly impossible.
The heat wave’s impact on Qamishli countryside reflects growing climate-related and economic challenges in northeast Syria, where local farmers call for urgent measures to protect vital agricultural production and sustain livelihoods.