wheat payment delays in Syria raise questions over disbursement mechanisms

Wheat farmers in various Syrian provinces are facing delays in receiving their financial dues for the crops they delivered to the grain and seed multiplication institutions, amid demands for clarification on the reasons for the delay and speeding up the payment processes, especially since these dues constitute the main source of liquidity for farmers to cover the costs of the season, agricultural commitments, and preparations for the next season.

These demands come as reported by ANHA agency's correspondents, coinciding with the announcement by the General Organization for Grain that the quantities of wheat received during the current season have exceeded 2.7 million tons, an increase of approximately 150,000 tons over Syria's annual requirement estimated at around 2.55 million tons, prompting the organization to talk about achieving self-sufficiency in wheat for the current season.

The receipt operations are distributed across several governorates, primarily al-Hasakah, Raqqa, and Aleppo, in addition to Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, Idlib, Homs, and other areas. This makes the issue of settling dues dependent on a unified mechanism for the flow of funds and lists between agricultural entities, banks, and receiving institutions.

Hama…  An example of the delay

In Hama, farmers are demanding clarification on the fate of their dues for the wheat delivered to the branch of the General Seed Multiplication Institution. They say that part of the dues has not yet been disbursed, despite the passage of time since the delivery of the crop.

Official data show the scale of supply operations in the governorate; the branch of the General Seed Multiplication Institution in Hama announced on July 16 the receipt of 8,300 tons of seed wheat and barley, including 7,500 tons of wheat and 800 tons of barley, from the contracted fields, with inspection and analysis procedures continuing before final acceptance.

Farmers say that the delay in payment exacerbates their financial burdens related to harvesting and transportation fees, production supplies, and agricultural debts, demanding a clear timeline for the disbursement of all dues.

The disbursement is carried out according to lists and transfers

The announced disbursement mechanism in other governorates indicates that the payment for crops is linked to the preparation of lists of eligible recipients and the amounts transferred to the banks.

In Daraa, the Agricultural Bank in Izra announced on July 26 the start of disbursing the value of the wheat delivered to the Izra Grain Center and the Seed Multiplication Branch. The branch manager stated that the bank had prepared electronic lists of the eligible recipients, and that the disbursement operations are carried out according to the priority of crop delivery and the amounts transferred from the Central Bank branch in Daraa.

These data indicate that delays in some cases may be related to the sequence of financial procedures, starting from the approval of quantities and their value, thru the preparation of lists and the transfer of funds, up to the bank responsible for payment. However, this does not necessarily explain individual cases or delays in every governorate.

The issue of dues in light of the season's importance

The issue of settling dues gains additional importance this season with the increase in the quantities that official institutions have managed to receive. The General Organization for Grain announced the continuation of receiving operations as long as there are marketable quantities with farmers, indicating that most receiving centers have stopped their operations after the quantities in their geographical areas were exhausted.

The base price for first-grade hard wheat was set at 46,000 Syrian pounds per ton, before adding an incentive bonus of 9,000 pounds per ton according to Decree No. 120 of 2026.

While achieving high delivery quantities is an important step toward food security, the regular payment of dues remains an essential part of the season's success, according to farmers who confirmed that the liquidity resulting from the sale of the crop is necessary to meet their obligations and finance the next production cycle.

Demands for a unified disbursement mechanism

Farmers in provinces experiencing payment delays are demanding that the relevant government authorities, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture, the Syrian Grain Establishment, the General Establishment for Seed Multiplication, and agricultural banks, announce the amounts that have been disbursed and the remaining amounts, clarify the stages of their transfer, and set expected dates for completing the payments.

The published government data, as observed by our agency, do not indicate a unified announcement setting a final date for the disbursement of all wheat farmers' dues in various provinces.

ANHA