Al-Hasakah farmers complain of delays in wheat deliveries; mounting losses due to waiting

Farmers in and around al-Hasakah city continue to face difficulties at grain silos due to delays in receiving wheat shipments, despite having obtained prior appointments through the electronic platform established to organize delivery operations. Farmers say the delays have led to growing financial losses because of high transportation costs and prolonged waiting periods.

Farmer Hassan Mohammed stated that he has been waiting for more than a week outside the al-Hasakah silos, even though his unloading appointment had been scheduled earlier.

He said: "My shipment was supposed to be unloaded at the designated time after I booked an appointment through the electronic platform. However, this system has failed to achieve its intended goal of facilitating the delivery process."

Mohammed explained that farmers pay substantial truck rental fees ranging between $600 and $800, while financial burdens continue to increase with each day of delay due to additional waiting costs estimated at $50 to $100 per day.

For his part, farmer Ahmed Alloush, who arrived from the Umm Madfa area, said that he had booked an appointment through the platform several days ago but has still been unable to unload his shipment.

Questioning the mechanism for allowing trucks into the silos, he said:

"Many trucks are waiting in an orderly manner according to their scheduled turns, while other trucks are being allowed in randomly despite not adhering to the queue in the first place."

He added that the transportation cost for his shipment amounted to $650, while each day of delay costs him an additional $100, depending on the load and its quantity.

Farmer Mahmoud Hamed, from the Sabaa Skour area, explained that he had originally received an appointment to unload his shipment at the Gweiran silos on the 19th of this month. However, he was later redirected to al-Hasakah silos, where his truck has yet to be received despite arriving a day before his scheduled appointment.

Hamed called for more effective solutions to organize the delivery process and for clear and accurate scheduling that would allow shipments to be unloaded without forcing farmers to wait for days outside the silos.

He added: "We go to the Gweiran silos and are then redirected to al-Hasakah silos. This has been our situation for several days. We want alternatives to this platform because we do not understand how it works. We continue waiting without any solutions, and our shipments are still not being accepted."

Farmer Marwan Mohammed also noted that the sharp increase in transportation costs has significantly reduced the economic return from wheat production.

Meanwhile, farmer Ali Hussein pointed out that the delays are placing additional burdens on producers who have been waiting for days under extremely high temperatures.

He claimed: "If you pay a bribe of $200 or $500, your shipment is accepted immediately without any paperwork or procedures from the Gweiran center to Al-Malabiyah and even the al-Hasakah silos."

The farmers called on the relevant authorities to reorganize the electronic platform's operating mechanism and ensure adherence to scheduled unloading appointments in order to reduce the financial losses they incur during the wheat marketing season.

ANHA agency conveyed all of the farmers' complaints to the General Administration of Silos. However, the administration has so far declined to provide any statement, comment, or official clarification regarding these demands.

ANHA