Siege on Shahba continues: Farmers cannot plough their fields due to lack of fuel
Afrin-Shahba Cooperative Committee Chair Sofiyêtlana Nebîko says farmers cannot plough their fields because they do not have fuel due to the siege imposed on Shahba by the Syrian government.
HESNA MIHEMED
Shahba- The siege imposed by the Syrian government on the Shahba Canton of North and East Syria has adversely affected the agriculture and economy of the region. Afrin-Shahba Cooperative Committee Chair Sofiyêtlana Nebîko says farmers face many problems due to the siege.
‘They do not have fuel to plough their fields’
The Afrin-Shahba Cooperative Committee supports farmers in the region with the aim of developing agricultural activities and economy in the region.
“As part of the land distribution project, one or half a hectare of agricultural land was given to families. We aimed to provide fertilizers, seeds and diesel fuel to the families so that they could engage in agricultural activities. However, we have faced many obstacles due to the siege imposed by the Syrian government on the region. For this reason, we could only give fertilizers and seeds to the families due to the ongoing siege. We could not provide fuel to the farmers because of the siege. The families cannot plough their fields now due to the siege,” Sofiyêtlana Nebîko told NuJINHA.
‘We distribute the income from farming among farmers’
Stating that approximately 2,300 hectares of agricultural land were given to the families, Sofiyêtlana Nebîko said, “There are 225 cooperatives of the farmers. Our share of these cooperatives is 10 percent of each agricultural land. We distribute the rest of income from farming among farmers. However, farmers face many difficulties due to the siege imposed by the Syrian government this year. Due to the siege, the prices of harvesting vehicles have also increased.”
‘They have no other source of livelihood other than agriculture’
Calling on the Syrian government to lift the siege for the development of the region, Sofiyêtlana Nebîko said, “The siege affects the agriculture and economy of the region. The people of Shahba have no source of livelihood other than agriculture. We will provide the necessary needs, especially fuel, to the farmers in order to achieve more success in agriculture next year.”