Hasakah farmers warn delayed payments threaten new agricultural season

Farmers in rural areas of Hasakah are facing growing difficulties due to delays in receiving payments for crops they delivered to agricultural banks, as they prepare for the new agricultural season amid rising costs of fuel, fertilizers, labor and machinery.

Farmers say delayed invoice payments have left them without the liquidity needed to secure agricultural supplies, while hundreds are waiting their turn to receive their dues amid complaints that payments are being made in installments and after long waiting periods.

Farmers waiting for their dues for months

Farmer Khalaf Mohammed al-Khader from Tell Tamer said farmers are suffering greatly, noting that the delayed payments have affected different segments of society, from farmers and tailors to grocery store owners.

Al-Khader said farmers have been waiting for about two months and 20 days to receive their payments, adding that he has not received any money from his invoice since delivering his crop to the Agricultural Bank.

He said his invoice is worth around 400 million Syrian pounds, while farmers are receiving limited amounts in installments.

“The Agricultural Bank gives farmers 100 million pounds in the first installment, which is not enough to cover our needs and expenses.”

Al-Khader added that hundreds of farmers are waiting for their turn to receive their dues, warning that the delays are directly affecting their ability to begin the new agricultural season.

“We are struggling to survive,” Al-Khader said, calling on the relevant authorities to accelerate payments to farmers so they can repay their debts and secure their needs for the agricultural season.

Rising farming costs worsen the crisis

Farmer Fayez Hassan from al-Samada village, near Tel Baidar, said he has worked in agriculture for decades but has now begun considering abandoning the profession due to the difficulties facing farmers.

Hassan said farmers delivered their crops to the Agricultural Bank, but their payments are being made in installments, adding that the mechanism is increasing their burdens at a time when they need liquidity to start the new season.

Hassan said farmers currently lack the liquidity needed to buy wheat and barley seeds, pay agricultural machinery and labor costs, and cover other production expenses.

He noted that farmers do not know whether they will receive their invoice payments in time, questioning the reasons for the delays by an institution that is supposed to support farmers and agricultural producers.

“From now on, I will not farm,” Hassan said, calling on the Agricultural Bank to review farmers’ circumstances and determine how they can continue farming amid rising production costs.

Payments in Syrian pounds, costs in dollars

Hassan said farmers are demanding payment for fuel, fertilizers, labor and other supplies, while they have been forced to purchase some of these resources in dollars.

“The Agricultural Bank pays the value of the invoices in Syrian pounds,” Hassan said, adding that this exposes farmers to additional losses due to fluctuations in the value of the currency and exchange rates.

Hassan called on the transitional government to return the agricultural crops that farmers delivered, saying that farmers want nothing more than to receive their crops and sell them in local free markets rather than wait for their payments.

Complaints Over Payment Delays and Difficulties Receiving Full Invoice Amounts

Farmer Jassem al-Khudair said farmers have been waiting for around three months to receive their dues.

Al-Khudair explained that farmers are receiving limited amounts compared with the total value of their crops.

“There are people talking to farmers about the possibility of receiving the full value of their invoices, but at very low prices, which is increasing anxiety among farmers,” al-Khudair said.

Agricultural Partnerships Complicate the Collection of Payments

Farmer Ahmad al-Hamada from the al-Sabea wa Arbaeen area of Hasakah city said he submitted an invoice worth 290 million Syrian pounds, representing dues owed to four people.

Al-Hamada explained that the bank pays only 100 million Syrian pounds, questioning how this amount could be distributed among the four partners, particularly since the total invoice is worth 290 million pounds.

He noted that farmers cannot rely on financial transfers to meet their needs amid rising agricultural costs and insufficient liquidity.

Warnings of Farmers Abandoning Agriculture

Farmers stress that continued delays in receiving their dues will affect the new agricultural season, particularly as the prices of production inputs continue to rise.

Al-Hamada said plowing and agricultural machinery costs are high, noting that tractor rental costs around $20 per dunum, excluding labor and other expenses.

He called on the relevant authorities to pay farmers’ dues in full and in a single installment, warning that the continuation of the current situation could push more farmers to stop cultivating their land.

Delays in paying farmers for their crops are leaving them with a difficult choice: wait for their money to secure supplies for the new season or abandon farming amid rising production costs, mounting debts and financial obligations.

a.k

ANHA