Wheat payments caught between installments, delays, uneven disbursement, threatening new agricultural season

Farmers across Syrian governorates are still waiting to receive their full payments for their wheat crops, amid differences in the pace and mechanisms of disbursement. Hasakah remains at the forefront of the issue, with continued delays and installment-based payments coinciding with preparations for the new agricultural season and rising input costs.

Financial pressure on farmers is increasing as payments for crops delivered during the previous season remain delayed. Many farmers rely on these funds to repay debts and purchase seeds, fertilizers and fuel, as well as cover labor and machinery costs. This makes delayed payments a significant factor affecting their ability to continue farming.

Hasakah: delayed payments as a new season approach

In Hasakah Governorate, farmers are facing growing difficulties due to delays in wheat payments and the installment-based disbursement of their dues. Farmers have complained about the lengthy waiting periods and the fact that the amounts paid do not correspond to the value of their invoices and financial obligations.

According to farmers' testimonies, many of them are postponed for nearly 3 months, while others have received only limited installments against the total value of their invoices.

Farmers said the first payment may not exceed SYP 100 million, even when the total value of an invoice amounts to hundreds of millions of Syrian pounds, limiting their ability to secure the requirements of the new agricultural season.

One farmer's invoice amount to approximately SYP 400 million, yet he had received no payment after waiting for nearly three months. Another invoice, worth around SYP 290 million and belonging to four partners, had received only SYP 100 million, making it difficult to distribute the payment and settle outstanding obligations.

These complaints come at a time when farming requires substantial liquidity to purchase seeds, fertilizers and fuel and to pay workers and machinery operators. In some areas, the cost of plowing a dunum has reached approximately $20, further increasing the financial burden on farmers.

On October 1, a meeting was held at the Hasakah Governorate building to discuss farmers' outstanding payments, with demands to accelerate disbursement procedures.

The meeting included discussions about forming a committee to follow up on invoices and review the procedures for their payment. Promises were also made to complete the payment of the remaining outstanding dues before the end of October.

During September, the proportion of invoices that had been paid did not exceed 2% of the total invoices eligible for payment, amid a liquidity shortage. According to an official at the Agricultural Bank, this figure reflected the pace of disbursement during that period.

Raqqa: waiting for payments amid preparations for the new season

In Raqqa, farmers are also facing delays in receiving the full value of their wheat crops, raising concerns that the situation could affect their ability to secure the requirements of the new agricultural season, as is the case in Hasakah.

Farmers reported that some had received an initial payment equivalent to approximately 25% of the value of their crops, while the remainder of their payments had yet to be disbursed. This has left them facing a liquidity crisis at a time when they need to purchase seeds, fertilizers and fuel and prepare their land.

The speed at which farmers receive their outstanding payments is particularly important in Raqqa, Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor, which are among Syria's major wheat-producing areas. The eastern governorates account for a significant share of Syria's wheat production.

Deir ez-Zor: improved disbursement but complaints persist

In Deir ez-Zor Governorate, wheat payment disbursements have progressed compared with other areas. However, this does not mean that the problem has been fully resolved, according to testimonies from farmers still waiting for their payments.

Some invoices and amounts remain outstanding, while the pace of disbursement continues to vary among farmers and collection centers.

Seasonal data indicate that Deir ez-Zor contributed approximately 11% of Syria's wheat production.

Daraa: installments ease delays but do not resolve the liquidity crisis

In Daraa, according to farmers' accounts, the situation is similar to that of farmers in other Syrian governorates. Wheat payments have shifted toward an installment-based mechanism, with some farmers receiving an initial payment for their crops while the remaining amounts are scheduled to be paid in subsequent installments.

Although this mechanism allows the payment process to continue, it does not fully address farmers' liquidity problems. Farmers need funds at specific times to finance the new agricultural season, particularly amid rising costs for seeds, fertilizers, fuel and machinery.

A Problem that goes beyond the value of the invoice

Economic experts emphasize that the repercussions of delayed wheat payments extend beyond farmers themselves. Delayed liquidity affects a broad range of economic activities linked to agriculture, from agricultural supply stores to the wages of workers and machinery operators, and ultimately to commercial activity in farming areas.

In Hasakah, farmers told ANHA agency in previous statements during October that delayed payments had forced them to borrow money to secure the requirements of the new season. Others warned that if the situation continued, they might reduce the areas they cultivate or stop farming their land altogether.

This comes as Syria's 2026 wheat season recorded production of more than 3 million tons, with more than 2.7 million tons received. Hasakah accounted for approximately 37% of production, followed by Raqqa and Aleppo at around 18% each, and Deir ez-Zor at approximately 11%.

These figures show that the speed at which farmers receive their payments is not merely a matter of settling invoices from a previous season. It is also a key factor in the agricultural sector's ability to transition from one season to the next, secure production inputs and maintain cultivated areas, particularly in regions that constitute the main centers of wheat production in Syria.

ANHA