Competition between the Assad government and the Autonomous Administration for the purchase of wheat crops from farmers has renewed as the harvest season approaches.
In recent days, statements have been issued by officials of both sides, confirming the competition and each side’s efforts to encourage farmers to fully deliver the crop.
The competition was highlighted by setting the price of one kilogram of the crop to buy from the farmers. The Autonomous Administration set its price 100 Syrian pounds higher than the price set by the Assad government.
The official account of “self-management” on Facebook, on Sunday: “The purchase price of wheat at 2200 Syrian pounds per kilo, while barley is set at 1600 Syrian pounds per kilo.”
The Assad government had set the purchase price of a kilogram of wheat from farmers at 1,700 Syrian pounds, with a reward of 300 pounds per kilogram delivered from safe areas.
As for the unsafe areas (out of the regime’s control), the price of one kilogram becomes 2000 Syrian pounds, in addition to giving a reward of 400 pounds per kilogram delivered, bringing the price of one kilogram to 2,100 pounds.
The competition also included securing procurement centers, with the Autonomous Administration allocating 32 centers to receive wheat and barley crops.
Mustafa Ibrahim, the co-chair of the Agricultural Society Development Company for North and East Syria, confirmed, “the opening of purchasing centers in Deir-ez-Zor, Raqqa, Tabqa, Manbij, and Kobani, in addition to the opening of centers in the Jazeera region.”
He pointed out that the emphasis is on moving the mechanisms carrying wheat and not selling it to merchants or centers of the Assad government.
“The center specified in the certificate must be adhered to and the itinerary specified for the mechanism, and any departure from this line will be seized by the competent authorities and delivered to the nearest purchasing center,” he told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper last Friday.
Assad government officials in Hassakeh, on the other hand, have begun to act, with the aim of encouraging farmers to hand over wheat stocks to the centers they have adopted.
Last week, the regime’s governor, Ghassan Khalil, held a meeting with the Hassakeh Grain Marketing Subcommittee.
Abdullah Abdullah, director of the Syrian Grain Marketing Corporation branch, noted that “storage areas are equipped, technical staff and accounting are distributed to procurement centers to facilitate procedures for producers”.
He noted that the SDF had blocked the farmers’ movement to deliver wheat to the Assad government centers.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
