(Eqtsad)- The intense battles in Deraa’s western countryside and the conflicted sides exchanges using heavy artillery has led to the incineration of large tracts of agricultural land planted with wheat, an important strategic crop that the population in the western area depend on as one of the important economic resources generating income alongside planting vegetables which the area is famous for.
Informed sources in the area indicated that “hundreds of acres planted with wheat were came upon by fire on Monday 16 May in the towns of Ash Shajarah, Nafa’ah, and Tasil, that form significant fighting grounds in the area between the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade from one side and the Free Syrian Army from another side.” The source indicated that the continuation of the battles simultaneously with the ripening of the wheat will lead to the incineration of additional lands and the threatening of the agricultural crop in the area for this season.
The source also indicated that “the continued prevention of fuel derivatives from entering the area will deprive farmers from reaping the wheat crops and transporting them, whereby the harvesters, tractors, and means of transport will stop working in light of the absence of any other means to gather the seasonal agricultural crops,” clarifying that that area lacks qualified workers to deal with the agricultural crops as people did in the past which means the crops will remain in the agricultural land and it will turn into fodder for animals and sold for the lowest prices.
The source, who refused to reveal his name for security reasons, confirmed that the entrance of fuel derivatives into the western area is considered a red line, and no discussion about the issue is possible at all whereby the fighting factions insist on the continuation of this measure to bother the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade whom they accuse of gathering the fuel derivatives from the village markets under their control to operate their military equipment which they use against the Free Syrian Army in their continued battle with them.
The source added that, “diligent inspection operations are being conducted on vehicles’ petrol containers, for vehicles which sometimes are allowed to pass, the inspection happens at checkpoints where the amount of petrol or diesel fuel needed to reach a destination is assessed and the excess fuel is emptied out onto the earth directly,” indicating that hundreds of liters of fuel derivatives are gulped up by the earth next to checkpoints every day for fear the fuel will reach the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade.
Farmers in the western area appealed to all the forces on the ground with the need to stop the fighting operations in the land until they gather their agricultural crops which constitute their only economic source of income and which they have spent a lot of money on.
Abu Ali (a fifty-year-old farmer) said, “it is not my fault that my lifetime efforts which I have spent large sums of money on, and waited on for many months should go to waste.” He noted that he had withstood many difficulties so that his land would not remain unplanted despite the absence of all necessities and agricultural items needed, and he withstood all the circumstances to ensure the production of the essential wheat substance because it is the primary substance in making bread.
Abu Eid, a displaced farmer from a different part of Deraa countryside, confirmed that his financial losses will be great if the ban on fuel derivatives necessary to operate harvesters, threshers, and agricultural tractors continues. He indicated that he rented a piece of land, with guarantees, and planted it with wheat hoping to improve his financial situation for the lack of other work options.
He said, “not being able to harvest means the crop will remain in the agricultural land, and this means large losses,” expressing his hope that decision makers on the ground look at farmers’ situations and work to open roads and allow harvesters to enter the area and ensure the entrance of fuel derivatives into the area, even if only for use in harvesters and agricultural production vehicles, as he said.
From his side, Abed al-Hakim, an agricultural engineer said, “the western areas are of the most important agricultural areas in Houran because of the fertility of its soil and the appropriate climate conditions to plant wheat.” He indicated that despite the low rainfall this year except the wheat crop has been good and it indicates a good season but unfortunately what is happening on the ground upset farmers’ lives as they started to fear that their crops will burn in conjunction with the intensification of battles in the area.
He added that farmer’s losses in the western area is not limited to the wheat crop but also the vegetable crop, as the tomato crop has now started to ripen and arrive in markets. He indicated that the production from this items is large and that farmers have spent large sums of money on their farming as a result of the high price of primary material and their association with the dollar.
He indicated that, “the road remaining closed in the face of movement and passage between areas will complicate matters and increase the size of farmers’ losses, some of whom borrowed large sums of money hoping to pay the debt with the end of the agricultural season and the sale of the produce.” He confirmed that the western area markets are unable to absorb the areas production of tomato which usually covered the markets in Damascus and nearby provinces.
He indicated that the western part of Deraa was considered one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the southern province, and it has been witnessing for the past year and a half battles and confrontations intermittently between al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham from one side, and Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade which is accused of pledging its allegiances to Islamic State from another side.
But these battles grew in intensity and ferocity in the few months prior, and this is in conjunction with the decision made by Free Syrian Army factions on the southern front and the Justice House in Houran of the need to end the presence of the Brigade in the area. An issue which has overshadowed the lives of people in areas controlled by Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, and led to the exacerbation of their economic situations and its increased difficulty. (Translation by Rana Abdul)
Informed sources in the area indicated that “hundreds of acres planted with wheat were came upon by fire on Monday 16 May in the towns of Ash Shajarah, Nafa’ah, and Tasil, that form significant fighting grounds in the area between the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade from one side and the Free Syrian Army from another side.” The source indicated that the continuation of the battles simultaneously with the ripening of the wheat will lead to the incineration of additional lands and the threatening of the agricultural crop in the area for this season.
The source also indicated that “the continued prevention of fuel derivatives from entering the area will deprive farmers from reaping the wheat crops and transporting them, whereby the harvesters, tractors, and means of transport will stop working in light of the absence of any other means to gather the seasonal agricultural crops,” clarifying that that area lacks qualified workers to deal with the agricultural crops as people did in the past which means the crops will remain in the agricultural land and it will turn into fodder for animals and sold for the lowest prices.
The source, who refused to reveal his name for security reasons, confirmed that the entrance of fuel derivatives into the western area is considered a red line, and no discussion about the issue is possible at all whereby the fighting factions insist on the continuation of this measure to bother the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade whom they accuse of gathering the fuel derivatives from the village markets under their control to operate their military equipment which they use against the Free Syrian Army in their continued battle with them.
The source added that, “diligent inspection operations are being conducted on vehicles’ petrol containers, for vehicles which sometimes are allowed to pass, the inspection happens at checkpoints where the amount of petrol or diesel fuel needed to reach a destination is assessed and the excess fuel is emptied out onto the earth directly,” indicating that hundreds of liters of fuel derivatives are gulped up by the earth next to checkpoints every day for fear the fuel will reach the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade.
Farmers in the western area appealed to all the forces on the ground with the need to stop the fighting operations in the land until they gather their agricultural crops which constitute their only economic source of income and which they have spent a lot of money on.
Abu Ali (a fifty-year-old farmer) said, “it is not my fault that my lifetime efforts which I have spent large sums of money on, and waited on for many months should go to waste.” He noted that he had withstood many difficulties so that his land would not remain unplanted despite the absence of all necessities and agricultural items needed, and he withstood all the circumstances to ensure the production of the essential wheat substance because it is the primary substance in making bread.
Abu Eid, a displaced farmer from a different part of Deraa countryside, confirmed that his financial losses will be great if the ban on fuel derivatives necessary to operate harvesters, threshers, and agricultural tractors continues. He indicated that he rented a piece of land, with guarantees, and planted it with wheat hoping to improve his financial situation for the lack of other work options.
He said, “not being able to harvest means the crop will remain in the agricultural land, and this means large losses,” expressing his hope that decision makers on the ground look at farmers’ situations and work to open roads and allow harvesters to enter the area and ensure the entrance of fuel derivatives into the area, even if only for use in harvesters and agricultural production vehicles, as he said.
From his side, Abed al-Hakim, an agricultural engineer said, “the western areas are of the most important agricultural areas in Houran because of the fertility of its soil and the appropriate climate conditions to plant wheat.” He indicated that despite the low rainfall this year except the wheat crop has been good and it indicates a good season but unfortunately what is happening on the ground upset farmers’ lives as they started to fear that their crops will burn in conjunction with the intensification of battles in the area.
He added that farmer’s losses in the western area is not limited to the wheat crop but also the vegetable crop, as the tomato crop has now started to ripen and arrive in markets. He indicated that the production from this items is large and that farmers have spent large sums of money on their farming as a result of the high price of primary material and their association with the dollar.
He indicated that, “the road remaining closed in the face of movement and passage between areas will complicate matters and increase the size of farmers’ losses, some of whom borrowed large sums of money hoping to pay the debt with the end of the agricultural season and the sale of the produce.” He confirmed that the western area markets are unable to absorb the areas production of tomato which usually covered the markets in Damascus and nearby provinces.
He indicated that the western part of Deraa was considered one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the southern province, and it has been witnessing for the past year and a half battles and confrontations intermittently between al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham from one side, and Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade which is accused of pledging its allegiances to Islamic State from another side.
But these battles grew in intensity and ferocity in the few months prior, and this is in conjunction with the decision made by Free Syrian Army factions on the southern front and the Justice House in Houran of the need to end the presence of the Brigade in the area. An issue which has overshadowed the lives of people in areas controlled by Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, and led to the exacerbation of their economic situations and its increased difficulty. (Translation by Rana Abdul)
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