Delay in distributing agricultural diesel increases the suffering of farmers in NE-Syria

Farmers in North-East Syria are complaining about the delay in distributing subsidized diesel to the agricultural sector for the second year in a row, which has increased the burdens of agriculture and threatened the agricultural season, especially in light of the lack of rain and the high costs of obtaining diesel from the black market.

Ahmad Al-Abdullah, a farmer from Mansoura, was forced to buy a barrel of diesel from the black market for two million Syrian pounds, which burdened him with additional costs. Ahmed points to the accumulation of debts on farmers, saying that “the return from agricultural crops has become economically unfeasible.”

As for the farmer Hami Haj Majeed from Amuda, he bought a liter of diesel for 6,100 Syrian pounds from the black market, and is still waiting to know the quantities allocated to them and the date of their delivery. Hami told ASO News Network that they received only two out of three scheduled payments last year, and the quantities were not enough to meet the needs of the agricultural lands.

Farmer Abu Mohammad from Al-Darbasiyah explained to ASO that the distribution of agricultural tractor allocations began in mid-November at a price of 4,700 Syrian pounds per liter, with each tractor allocated only 500 liters, without taking into account the area of cultivated land. He considered these quantities “not enough to complete the agricultural season.”

Lack of allocations, slow response
According to what farmers from different areas in North-East Syria told ASO News Network, most of them rely mainly on buying diesel from the black market at high prices, indicating that it is not available most of the time.

Others confirmed that the agriculture and fuel committees were late last year in distributing agricultural diesel allocations, in addition to reducing the allocated quantities by half.

In Al-Darbasiyah, many farmers, including Abu Nidal, have lost hope of obtaining agricultural diesel this year, which has forced them to rely entirely on buying diesel from the black market.

Abu Yousef, a farmer from the countryside of Derik/Al-Malikiyah, confirmed that he will not wait for his allocations even if they are distributed, noting that the delay has made them useless after all this time, according to him.

As for Abu Jihad from the countryside of Zarkan/Abu Rasin, he resorted to renting his agricultural land as a result of the delay in distribution and his inability to buy from the black market due to the accumulation of debts on him as a result of the wheat pricing last year, according to what he explained to ASO.

According to the Agriculture Directorate of the Autonomous Administration in Al-Darbasiyah, the number of licensed agricultural wells until this report was prepared is about 2,149 wells, and they need 30 liters per dunum distributed in three batches. However, last year witnessed the distribution of only one and a half batches, which negatively affected agricultural production.

Ayman Al-Sultan, co-chair of the Guidance Office in the Agriculture and Economy Committee of the Autonomous Administration in Raqqa, confirmed that the issuance of agricultural licenses will begin in mid-September 2024, and will continue until the end of December, noting that the number of agricultural organizations in Raqqa until the preparation of this report reached about 400 organizations, including wells and agricultural associations.

For its part, the Plant Production Directorate of the Autonomous Administration in Al-Jazira announced two weeks ago that it had directed the Directorates of Agriculture to begin field surveys of the areas planted with wheat and to submit tables with the names of farmers to the Directorate of Fuels. The process of distributing subsidized diesel is expected to begin after the completion of printing the electronic cards for farmers.

Despite the announcement of the start of distribution, the Fuel Authority in the Autonomous Administration did not provide any clarifications about the available quantities or the reasons for the delay.

Agriculture in North-East Syria continues to face major challenges, which requires an urgent response to secure the needs of farmers and ensure the sustainability of the agricultural sector as one of the pillars of the local economy.