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العربية
The Directorate of Agriculture in Deir Ezzor issued a decision to raise the wheat estimates in the areas controlled by “Assad regime” to 75,000 tons, to be given to the “Assad” government from this year’s crop, which was called the “Year of Wheat,” especially in the governorate that attention is directed towards it, as it is the first agricultural basket, especially after the implementation of the third and fifth sector projects.
However, several reasons prevented reaching the estimated quantity, as the quantity of imported grain did not exceed 35,000 tons, due to the drought that hit the country and which it has not experienced since 1953,according to the statements of the Minister of Agriculture, “Hassan Qatna, in addition to the decline in the water level of the Euphrates, the scarcity of agricultural support resources such as seeds, fertilizers and fuel, and the spread of favoritism in distributing them.
Among the factors that contributed to the failure to obtain the estimated quantity of wheat was also the Iranian militias’ control of a large area of agricultural land in both Al-Bukamal and the third sector extending between Al-Mariya in the west and Buqrus in the east, and the smuggling of wheat to SDF-controlled areas by agents of the security branches, where it is sold at higher prices. From the areas controlled by the Assad regime.
The decision was rejected by the farmers in Al-Bukamal, who expelled the police patrols supported by the Popular Mobilization, and refused to give them wheat, while the political leadership in Deir Ezzor, represented by the governor, the secretary of the party branch, the head of the Peasants’ Union, and the Director of Agriculture were put in an embarrassing position, which resulted in imprisonment 19 heads of associations and dozens of farmers, and some of them were recently released after achieving a supply rate of more than 50 percent, according to the proportion of government support to the associations, which did not exceed 20 percent.
