Delayed payments drive Hasakah farmers to sell their equipment, abandon agriculture

Farmers in Al-Hasakah Governorate have faced increasing difficulties due to the delayed disbursement of their financial entitlements at the agricultural bank and the installment payments, amidst rising fuel and agricultural supply prices. This has directly affected their ability to pay for harvesters, tractors, labor, and accumulated debts, leading some to sell their machinery and stop working.

"My invoice is 271 million, but it is not being fully paid."

Farmer Ahmad Jaroud Al-Hamada, from the Sabaa Wa Arbaeen area, said that farmers are suffering from repeated delays in the disbursement of their dues.

He explained that the value of his invoice amounts to 271 million Syrian pounds, but the bank does not disburse it in full; instead, it delays it and grants them limited portions.

He pointed out that the delay places increasing burdens on farmers, given their ongoing obligations toward harvesters, tractors, workers, and fuel costs.

He pointed out that the installment payments and the failure to disburse them in one go increase the suffering of the farmers, especially since the delay in funds negatively affects their economic and living conditions, making them unable to meet their debts and secure their families' needs and the requirements of the agricultural season.

He explained that the problem is not limited to the economic aspect, but extends to security risks due to their need to wait for long periods in front of the bank amid the unstable conditions.

And farmer Ahmad Jaroud Al-Hamada concluded his speech by urging the relevant authorities to expedite the full disbursement of farmers' dues, in addition to extending the official working hours of the Agricultural Bank until 5 PM, allowing farmers to complete their transactions and receive their dues without delay.

Selling the system and stopping the license

For his part, farmer Mohamed Saleh Mohamed, from Al-Shaddadi, explained that he was forced to move his production to Tal Hamis, which incurred additional costs. Despite this, his entitlements were not significant, and he waited more than five months to receive them.

He said that the delay in payments, along with the rising prices of supplies, put him in a financial crisis that forced him to sell his equipment and agricultural machinery to pay workers' wages and debts.

He added that he was forced to sell the energy system and pumps and completely halt his agricultural project, despite having a license to cultivate 170 dunams.

He confirmed that returning to agriculture has become linked to providing real financing for farmers, helping them secure fuel, supplies, and pay for labor and machinery on time.

Farmer Mohamed Saleh pointed out that he has been working in the agricultural sector since 1996, and that the past season was one of the toughest he has experienced during his years of work, despite having managed to cultivate both the summer and winter seasons the previous year and achieve good results.

He explained that the absence of support and funding will make the continuation of many agricultural projects extremely difficult.

Mohammed added that the money farmers receive after a full year of hard work and effort is often not enough to cover all the accumulated obligations, given the debts owed to harvesters, tractors, workers, and others. He wondered how these limited amounts could be distributed among all the parties waiting for their dues.

Farmer Mohamed Saleh Mohamed concluded his talk by saying that he was forced to sell all his equipment and will not be able to return to farming unless financing and support mechanisms are provided to help farmers resume their activities.

Fuel is a prerequisite before harvesting.

For his part, farmer Mohamed Al-Omar, from Al-Hasakah, confirmed that farmers are living in a state of continuous waiting between the demands of creditors, such as harvesters, tractors, and workers, and waiting for their money from the bank, which repeatedly delays disbursement.

Al-Omari explained that the rise in fuel prices has made the continuation of agricultural work more difficult, to the extent that some tractor and harvester owners now require farmers to secure fuel in advance before starting land plowing or harvesting.

He questioned how to secure fuel for agricultural machinery owners and continue working on the land, given that farmers do not have sufficient liquidity and the agricultural bank is delayed in disbursing their dues, warning that the continuation of these conditions will make many of them unable to continue working in the agricultural sector.

One million dollars daily... And the disbursement schedule

According to local sources, daily financial amounts estimated at around one million dollars reach the governorate and are distributed among its cities, while farmers' dues are disbursed according to a schedule in which Al-Hasakah's turn is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Farmers' demands are escalating for a clear and regular disbursement mechanism away from delays and installments, and for the provision of funding and support to secure fuel and supplies, ensuring the continuity of production and protecting farmers from selling their equipment and abandoning their lands.

ANHA