{"id":111928,"date":"2024-03-07T17:32:48","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T17:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/?p=111928"},"modified":"2024-03-07T17:32:49","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T17:32:49","slug":"shortage-of-fuel-threatens-agriculture-sector-in-ne-syria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/111928\/","title":{"rendered":"Shortage of fuel threatens agriculture sector in NE Syria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Samer Yassin<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) \u2013 <\/strong>Farmers in the southern countryside of Hasakah Governorate, northeastern Syria, face challenges due to the shortage of fuel as temperatures in the region start to increase and farmlands need irrigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farhan finds himself forced to purchase diesel from the black market in Hasakah at expensive prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This started a week ago as agricultural crops needed additional irrigation especially as temperatures gradually began to rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to experts in agriculture, farmlands in Hasakah are divided into several areas. The areas to the north are more likely to have successful cultivation due to humidity as more chances of rainfall occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farmers in high grounds in Hasakah suffer from a shortage of diesel required to operate power generators whereby the irrigation of farmlands is carried out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irrigated to rain fed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Farhan Ali, 66, is a farmer who cultivated about 12 acres of his lands with wheat. However, he faces challenges in securing diesel for irrigation, which puts his crops at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ali, who resides in the village of al-Humur in the east of Hasakah, explains that although he usually depends on irrigation in cultivation, his farmland currently relies on rainfall due to lack of fuel. Now, he faces difficulties amid unexpected weather conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He told North Press that he did not receive diesel used for agricultural purposes from the local authorities. Moreover, he was forced to purchase fertilizers and agrichemicals from the black market at high prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ali says no one supports them with essential supplies for cultivation so they are forced to buy them from traders. If local authorities decide not to support the agriculture sector, then they would not work in farming and seek other jobs to make a living. However, they are only familiar with agriculture because it was passed down from their fathers and grandfathers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ali fears that farming might turn to a money-consuming  profession without profits. He cannot afford the costs of cultivation without enough support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agriculture at risk<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Muhammad al-Ma\u2019rouf, another farmer in the region, shares the same concerns. He fears a shortage of diesel similar to the one that occurred in the Summer of 2023 during cotton season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, al-Ma\u2019rouf was forced to purchase diesel from the black market at high prices, negatively impacting his crop sales and resulting in material losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He points out that he has not received fuel yet, adding he is in an urgent need to irrigate his farmland due to rising temperatures and direct exposure to the heat of the sun, which negatively affect the crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He adds that the diesel available in the black market now is exorbitantly expensive and is of a bad quality and damages the generators. He would have to spend more money on repairing the generator\u2019s malfunctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disrupted sector<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sham Abde, an official in the Agriculture Directorate of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in Hasakah, stated to North Press that they faced challenges in providing farmers with diesel used for agriculture purposes this year due to Turkish airstrikes targeting vital oil facilities and refiners in northeast Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In January, Turkey launched dozens of airstrikes on vital service facilities and oil fields, knocking them completely out of service, according to the AANES.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abde stresses that they used to provide farmers with diesel effectively every year and it improved the agricultural situation in the area. This year, however, they were unable to provide the needed quantity of diesel in a timely manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She explains that before the Turkish attacks on energy facilities, the Directorate provided the farmers with 580,000 liters of diesel. However, the quantities of diesel decreased significantly after the airstrikes, affecting the agriculture, especially in high grounds in northeastern Syria. She emphasized these areas were the most affected by the current shortage of diesel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She says they currently work on completing the provision of diesel for farmers, but they have limited diesel quantities, adding they will address the shortage in the region caused by the Turkish airstrikes in accordance with available resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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