Syrian wheat captured by Kurdish fighters equals 6 billions s.p: regime official

Reporting by Mohamed Al Hussein; Translation by Yusra Ahmed

HASAKA- (Zaman Al Wasl) A well-informed source revealed to Zaman al-Wasl that prices of grain the Democratic Union Party PYD” had captured from the regime’s stores reached to 6 Billion Syrian Pounds.

The source confirmed that regime’s Cabinet was aware of the incidence and the value, and it forwarded a letter to Major General “Mohamed Khaddoor” the military Mayor in Hasaka inquiring about that amount of grain and where they had gone, since they were captured by one of so called “National forces”

“PYD’s responsible ordered their people to distribute some of that amount to people to justify capturing and selling grain later” the source added.

Activist Mahmood al-Ahmad told Zaman al-Wasl that Syrian regime had contracted some traders to transfer amount of grain to its areas in the coast and Damascus from Hasaka and Qamishli, because it lost control of many roads as they passed through the Islamic States regions, therefore they needed to pay fees to let them through.

The activist added that PYD obtained an amount of barley worth 210 Billion Syrian pounds, from Sebat’s grain centre, and 17 thousand tons of black barley equal to 500 Million Syrian pounds from Tal Ziwan, as compensation for its loses in the battle of Tal Hamis a year ago, in which the party lost 300 fighters.

the activist mentioned that PYD’s fighters transferred the grain they captured to their areas in the town of al-Manajeer and three other villages, while the regime managed to secure grain in 5 centres only out of 41 centre of grain (Qamishli’s and Hasaka’s granaries, Sebat, Jarmaz, and the centre of livestock treasure)

Regime contracted some Iraqi traders to export 200 thousand tons of grain to Iraq, but the bargain was cancelled after controlling Nineveh by the Islamic State, and closed the last land connection between Hasaka and Iraq.

Grain is one of the most important strategic harvest for Syrian economy and a source of foreign currency. The country became self-sufficient in the eighties of last century and started exporting in 1994, to return to importing grain after the drought 2008.

Syria’s needs for grain estimated of 5 Million tons, but the production does not exceed 3.5 tons, and it import the rest from Eastern Europe countries especially Ukraine.