RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – Farmers in the countryside of Raqqa, northern Syria, believe that the quantities of seeds and fertilizers provided by the Autonomous Administration of North East Syria (AANES) at subsidized prices are insufficient according to previous standards they were accustomed to.
Additionally, the delivery of seeds and fertilizers was delayed, amid high prices in the markets after a dry year, the farmers said.
Ismael al-Khalaf, a farmer in the village of al-Hamrat, 15 km east of Raqqa, said the prices of planting requirements are increasing day by day.
He added that the delay in delivering the materials provided by the Agricultural Society Development Company of the AANES in Raqqa and the lack of their quantity in the midst of this situation affect the farmers negatively.
An average dunum of wheat to cultivate the land requires about 30 kg of seed, according to what farmers in the area are accustomed to.
While the company provides the farmers with 12 kg per licensed dunum, but they say it is not sufficient based on agricultural standards.
Last year, the decline in production due to the lack of rain and Turkey’s seize of the Euphrates waters caused farmers to be unable to store their needs of seeds.
Farmers in the countryside of Raqqa resort to borrowing agricultural supplies from market traders to pay for them after selling their crops at the beginning of next summer, but this is done according to an agreement on a higher price.
Insufficient seeds
Al-Khalaf pointed that relying on a low amount of seeds for late planting will make the production low in any case.
Last season, the farmer had to pay extra to secure high-priced fertilizers from the market.
The price of one ton of fertilizer reached approximately 490 US dollars, compared to its price in the previous season, which was 400 per ton at the subsidized price, according to al-Khalaf.
The Agriculture and Economics Board of the AANES has set the subsidized price for sterilized seeds at 1,200 SYP per kg, while the price for traders ranges between 1,900 and 2,000 SYP, according to traders in a market in Raqqa city.
Other needs
The land planted with wheat needs insecticides and harmful herbicides with the start of plowing the land for the plant, in order to protect it from pests that affect the crop and affect its production.
The price of a package of pesticides per acre ranges between $10 and $25, according to agricultural pharmacies in Raqqa.
With the beginning of this year’s season, the Prevention Office of the Agriculture and Irrigation Committee in Raqqa warned of the spread of an insect pest called Fall armyworm which infects strategic crops such as wheat and cotton, in addition to other infections.
Farmers in Raqqa planted their lands with other crops such as coriander, beans and others that do not need expensive quantities of fertilizer and seed.
The Agriculture Committee of the Raqqa Civil Council said it provides farmers with seeds and fertilizers according to licenses given to them including the space of the agricultural lands, with the aim of achieving a fair distribution of agricultural support.
Ongoing preparations
Ahmad al-Ali, the co-chair of the Agricultural Society Development Company in Raqqa, said the company will now provide both Durum and Common wheat seed, and both superphosphate and nitrogen fertilizers (urea).
He added that the fertilizers are available in terms of the necessary quantities, but there is a lack of seeds due to the presence of large areas of agricultural land, which amounted to approximately 240,000 hectares.
He considered that the mechanism they follow, guarantees a fair distribution of support to the farmers.
The subsidized price of superphosphate fertilizer reaches $500 due to its high global price, and nitrogen fertilizer (urea) is $490, according to al-Ali.
Al-Ali indicated that the company took priority in supporting the farmers, who delivered their crops to the company’s silos last season, with materials. However, it has not yet decided whether it will support those who did not deliver their production last season or not.