AANES in Syria’s Kobani receives 133,000 tons of wheat
KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – Kobani Agricultural Development Company of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) has received 133,000 tons of wheat since May 24, until the end of the receiving operations, an official in the company said on Wednesday.
On July 24, the Agriculture and Irrigation Board of the AANES stopped receiving wheat and closed all centers affiliated with the company.
Gulistan Sheikh Ahmad, co-chair of Kobani Agricultural Development Company, said that the company has stored the wheat crops in Rofi, al-Jalabiya, and Sirrin silos, in addition to four open yards that were taken near the aforementioned silos.
She added that the company diverted about 40,000 tons of wheat harvest in Kobani to the silos of Manbij, Raqqa and Hasakah.
The company is about to finalize the farmers’ invoices and transferring them to Finance Board in north and east Syria, which transfers them to the Cash and Payments Office to issue invoices to farmers, Ahmad noted.
The Agricultural Community Development Company, is affiliated to Agriculture and Irrigation Board of AANES and it was officially established in 2018, as its main headquarters is in the city of Qamishli, northeast Syria, however, its branches are in all areas in northeast the country.
The company offers nitrogen and phosphatic fertilizers for farmers, receive crops of wheat and barley from farmers in soils of the region, milling wheat for bakeries of northeast Syria, and receiving crops of cotton from farmers.
Kobani and its countryside consume about 60,000 tons of wheat, grains and flour, annually.
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 compared to other parts under the government and opposition.
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.