Syria’s AANES receives wheat, barley crops in northeast Syria
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES) has marked 26 centers to receive wheat and barley crops during the current season distributed in all northeast Syria’s regions.
“The absorptive capacity of those centers estimates at 900,000 tons,” co-chair of the Economic and Agriculture Board in the AANES Salman Barudo told North Press on Wednesday.
The Board allocated 13 centers in the Jazira region, five in Raqqa, three in Deir ez-Zor, three in the Euphrates region and one each in Manbij and Tabqa.
The Jazira region witnessed a remarkable decline in the agricultural production after the Syrian war, while it used to contribute to the production of wheat at a rate that exceeded 60% of the total local production.
The current season is low in production due to poor rainfall during winter and Turkey’s seizure of the Euphrates River water, which farmers in Kobani, Raqqa, Tabqa and Deir ez-Zor depended on to irrigate their crops.
“This season is very bad for rain-fed crops due to lack of rain, as the production of most of the agricultural lands is almost non-existent,” Barudo added.
Barudo expected the production of irrigated lands of wheat, which expands over 300,000 hectares, to reach 500,000 tons during this season.
Rain-fed areas of wheat and barley in northeast Syria expand over 800,000 hectares, while irrigated areas expand over 300,000 hectares, according to the Agricultural and Economic Board.
On May 19, The AANES priced one kilogram of wheat at 1,150 Syrian pound (SYP), while a kilogram of barley was priced at 850 SYP.