Cotton cultivation in Syria’s Hasakah plummets amid drought, rising costs
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – The Directorate of Agriculture in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) told North Press on Saturday that cotton cultivation in Hasakah Governorate, northeastern Syria, has seen a sharp decline this season.
According to Hasakah’s Director of Agriculture, licensed areas for cotton planting this year totaled around 272,000 dunams, but the land actually cultivated did not exceed 69,000 dunams. In comparison, last year saw 374,000 dunams licensed and roughly 150,000 dunams planted.
Farmers in Hasakah countryside said that cotton cultivation in the governorate has dropped significantly this season due to drought and soaring production costs, leading to a marked reduction in planted areas compared to 2024.
Jassem al-Hassan, a farmer from Hasakah’s countryside, said he previously planted 15 dunams of cotton each year but was forced to reduce that to only 5 dunams this season because of falling groundwater levels, rising temperatures, and higher costs.
“We call on the Autonomous Administration to provide the necessary support to save this vital sector,” he urged.
Known as the “white gold,” cotton is the second most important seasonal crop in the region after wheat. However, repeated losses in recent years, driven by harsh climatic conditions, have pushed many farmers to scale back cultivation.