HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Muhammad al-Sarhan, from the countryside of al-Shaddadi in Hasakah countryside, northeastern Syria, could not plow all his land to sow it with barley for winter, because he did not get support from agricultural committees and he could not buy sufficient quantities of seed on black market.
Although al-Sarhan owns 75 acres, he plowed 50 of them and sowed them with barley.
The 37-year-old man was forced to purchase a ton and a half of barley on black market, paying 2.800 SYP for each kilo because he did not get an agricultural permission that enables him to receive agricultural supplies at subsidized prices.
Al-Sarhan said that the barley seeds are “very expensive.”
In addition to the high costs of seeds, the farmers incur costs of plowing, fuel, fertilizers and sacks, which increases their suffering,” according to al-Sarhan.
The farmer also did not get an agricultural permission that enables him to receive cultivation supplies at subsidized price, so he was forced to plow a part of his land in order to be able to cultivate it and take care of it.
The agricultural committees in areas in the southern countryside of Hasakah did not give the agricultural licenses for farmers of irrigated and rain-fed barley this year and only gave the permissions for irrigated wheat farmers.
The farmers who own agricultural lands on the banks of al-Khabour River also did not get the agricultural permission because of the lack of water in the southern countryside of Hasakah dam to irrigate agricultural lands due to scarcity of rainfall during the recent years.
Some farmers in the area resorted to borrow the seeds of barley from traders, as they will pay off at a higher price after harvesting.
Ali al-Omar, 40, a farmer from al-Shaddadi countryside, was forced to borrow two tons of barley seeds from traders at $1.400 for each ton, and he will pay off $1.150 for each ton after harvesting and selling the crop.
The farmer, who has 120 acres, also did not get an agricultural permission, so he cultivated it with irrigated barley and he depends on rivers for irrigation.
Al-Omar described the situation as “catastrophic” in light of high prices and he is afraid of suffering great losses after harvesting the crop and paying off the debts.
Seed traders in the market of the town of Hadadiya, south of Hasakah, attributed the high prices of barley seed to the increased demand on it and the farmers’ tendency to plant their lands with barley.
Farmers cultivated their lands with irrigated and rain-fed barley because it does not need large quantities of water, in addition, barley tolerates thirst more than wheat.
The Agricultural license were given to farmers of irrigated wheat only, based on a decision by the Agriculture Authority, according to Muhannad al-Matoub, co-chair of Agriculture Committee in al-Shadadi.
Al-Matoub attributed the reason to the fact that “the region is considered a fifth stabilization zone, in other words, it is dry, and therefore farmers of irrigated and rain-fed barley were not given agricultural licenses to obtain support.”