Syria’s AANES receives over million tons of wheat
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The Agriculture and Irrigation Board affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), announced on Tuesday receiving over a million tons of wheat so far this year.
According to the announcement of the Board, the AANES has received a million and 9,000 tons of wheat.
Nabila Muhammad, co-chair of the Agricultural Community Development Company of the AANES, said that receiving centers continue to accept incoming wheat.
Meanwhile, payment offices in northern Syria continue to cash the farmers’ bills in less than 40 days.
Northeast Syria’s areas – known as Jazira – were well-known as one of the most fertile agrarian lands, however, the drought in the recent years and the reduction of water by Turkey in addition to the climate change have turned the fertile areas into arid ones and vegetation no longer exists.
This year, the AANES has decided to buy the wheat crops from the farmers at $430 per ton, which is the best price according to a war-torn country.
During the 2022-2023 season, about 3.5 million acres of lands were cultivated with wheat in the AANES-held areas.
Rain fed farmlands in the AANES areas exceeded 13 million acres and they were cultivated with wheat and barley.
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 SDF defeated ISIS militarily there.