Syria’s AANES continues distributing wheat seeds to farmers
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also known as Rojava, continues the process of distributing wheat seeds to farmers in its areas of control, aiming at supporting agricultural sector in northeast Syria.
14 types of the wheat seeds, both soft and durum, are set for distribution in the areas held by the AANES.
Agricultural Community Development Company in Jazira region began distributing the wheat seeds in agricultural directorates and centers deployed in the towns and cities of the region according to a mechanism set by Agriculture and Irrigation Board.
The Jazira region is an administrative division that includes the cities of Qamishli, Hasakah, Derik (al-Malikiyah), Amuda and al-Qahtaniyah (Tirbe Spiyeh).
The company allocated 30 kilograms of soft wheat and 32 kg of durum to each acre of irrigated land, and 18 kg for each acre of rain-fed land.
The price of each kilo of seeds is set at 2.300 Syrian pounds (SYP) for farmers and 3.500 SYP for the farmers contracted with the company.
The company secures diesel for farmers contracted with it at the subsidized price given that they hand the product of their lands to the company’s silos.
The AANES was first formed in 2014 in the Kurdish-majority regions of Afrin, Kobani and Jazira 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 Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) defeated ISIS militarily.
Co-chair of Agricultural Community Development Company in the city of Derik, Shevan Deli, said in an interview with Hawar News Agency (ANHA), the distribution process in Derik and Tel Alo has begun since October 8.
The farmers obtain the seeds after applying the needed documentations to the Agriculture Directorate each in his area, according to Deli.
He stressed that the amount of seeds covers the need of the farmers of the region.
The quality of the seeds, according to farmers in Jazira region, is excellent and available at a good price in light of the spike in exchange rate of foreign currencies.
Meanwhile, in Kobani, the company has initiated distribution of wheat seeds and fertilizers since the 26th of September.
So far, the company has distributed about 1.170 tons of wheat seeds for the coming winter season, co-chair of Agricultural Community Development Company in the Euphrates region, Gulistan Sheikh Ahmad, said.
In July, officials in AANES said the received quantities of wheat reached 139.400 tons in Jazira region and 115.500 tons in the city of Raqqa.
Wheat production in Raqqa and its countryside reached self-sufficiency in 2022, Ahmad al-Ali, co-chair of Agricultural Community Development Company, said.