Deir Ezzor farmers begin corn harvest amid declining production

Farmers in the village of Al-Shamitiya in the countryside of Deir Ezzor have begun harvesting their yellow corn crop, amid a noticeable decline in production compared to previous years, due to the sharp rise in the costs of cultivation, irrigation, fertilizers, and fuels. Agriculture also suffers from a severe shortage of production inputs and a lack of dryers, in addition to the absence of a clear mechanism for marketing the crop and determining a suitable price for it.

Majdi Muhammad Rayash, head of the crops department at the Deir Ezzor Directorate of Agriculture, clarified that the planned area for planting yellow corn reached 13,866 hectares, while the planted areas reached 450 hectares for pasture corn and 2,796 hectares for grain production. He pointed out that wide areas of the crop were damaged and reports were submitted to the relevant authorities.

For his part, Hamoud Al-Sheikh from the Al-Masrab Cooperative Association noted that imported corn competes with local produce, calling for a temporary halt to imports to enable farmers to market their production. Farmer Saleh Salem Al-Zughair also explained that production does not cover costs, calling for the provision of dryers and the establishment of a clear plan for marketing the crop.

Trader Ibrahim Muhammad Al-Hussein highlighted that marketed quantities have declined from thousands of tons annually to a few hundred, due to reduced production and rising transportation and fuel costs. He called for the establishment of factories for manufacturing animal feed, which would help dispose of local production, amid challenges related to drying and storing the crop after harvest.

Yellow corn cultivation in Deir Ezzor, which constitutes a primary source of feed for sheep, cattle, and poultry, faces challenges related to drying and storing the crop after harvest. This necessitates providing the necessary equipment to protect production from spoilage, alongside supporting farmers and securing agricultural inputs and marketing mechanisms.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)