US agency issued thousands of tons of wheat seeds to Syria, Ministry of Agriculture: Not suitable for planting at all
People’s Daily Online, Damascus, November 24 (Reporter Xue Dan) According to a report by the Syrian National News Agency, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced that it has distributed about 3,000 tons of wheat to farmers in parts of Kamishli, Hasakah Province, in northeastern Syria. Seeds to ensure that there are enough food sources in the local area. However, the Syrian agricultural department found through sampling inspection that 40% of wheat seeds contained nematode disease, which was not only unsuitable for planting, but also caused great harm to local agricultural production.
On November 10, the United States Agency for International Development decided to ship wheat seeds to northeastern Syria. And said on its social account: “Wheat is the backbone of Syria’s agricultural industry. After the’high-quality’ seeds distributed this time are planted, there will be about 32,000 tons of wheat harvest next year, so as to ensure that everyone has flour, bread and other products. Wheat products.”
On November 14, Ahmed, chairman of the Hassek Province Farmers’ Union, warned that these seeds had not been analyzed and tested in the laboratories of relevant official institutions, and that local farmers should raise their awareness of prevention. At the same time, agricultural experts pointed out that any plant or animal entering Syria must be subject to inspection and quarantine by the Agricultural Quarantine Center, because it may carry pests, viruses, etc., posing a threat to all crops. The Hassek Province Farmers’ Union also issued a warning not to plant wheat seeds of unknown origin.
Subsequently, the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture issued relevant sampling inspection certificates. 40% of these wheat seeds produced in Turkey contained mitochondrial diseases, which were not only unsuitable for planting, but also caused agricultural pests, which would affect local agricultural production in the long term. The Syrian News Agency specifically pointed out in the report that the US Agency for International Development was so “generous” that the purpose behind the “good deeds” was to undermine Syria’s food security.
Wheat is an important source of food in Syria. According to the statistics of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the official data of the Syrian government, Syrian agricultural production in 2020 has increased compared with previous years. Wheat production reached 3.085 million tons, which is 67% higher than the average level of the previous five years, but there is a gap. It still reached 1.62 million tons. While the hungry population still exists, the wheat resources in Syria are still being looted and destroyed frantically. The Syrian media just reported that the US military in Syria sent 40 trucks to the Hasakah province to smuggle wheat and oil. Since the beginning of this year, the Syrian government has repeatedly condemned the actions of the United States in Syria as a “national robbery” with the aim of plundering Syria’s natural resources without hindrance.