Tell Tamer (northern Hasakah) witnessed a protest on Tuesday, June 16, by several farmers demanding the cancellation of the electronic platform approved for marketing the wheat crop, amid growing complaints over delays in granting delivery appointments, and the additional burdens that threaten the crop and increase production costs.
The protesters called for the cancellation of the electronic booking system approved at wheat receiving centers, saying the current mechanism does not reflect the realities of the agricultural sector in Hasakah governorate, which already suffers from weak internet services and the wide geographical spread of agricultural areas.
The protest comes as wheat harvesting continues across the governorate’s countryside, alongside an increase in quantities marketed to government receiving centers. The amount of wheat marketed as of June 15 reached about 62,000 tons, according to data from the Hasakah Agriculture Directorate reviewed by Enab Baladi.
Technical Difficulties
Hasakah’s assistant director of agriculture, engineer Ezz al-Din al-Hassou, told Enab Baladi that the administrative procedures for receiving the crop are “facilitated and easy,” explaining that the main problem lies in the booking mechanism through the electronic platform.
Al-Hassou added that the governorate suffers from weak internet services, whether through the local satellite network or telecommunications networks, which affects farmers’ ability to register their data and obtain delivery turns at the required speed.
He noted that the concerned authorities are following up on farmers’ comments, amid the need to speed up the marketing process during the peak of the season.
Distant Appointments and Fears of Damage
Although the Syrian Grain Establishment announced that the platform aims to organize marketing operations and reduce crowding in front of receiving centers, farmers’ complaints point to opposite results on the ground.
Mohammad al-Ali, a farmer from southern Hasakah countryside, said it took him several days of attempts to obtain an appointment to deliver his crop because of weak internet connectivity.
He told Enab Baladi that the problem is not limited to registration, but extends to the delivery date itself, explaining that some farmers received appointments far from the harvest date.
“After we finish harvesting, we need to transport the wheat directly to the receiving centers, but waiting for long periods means the crop remains exposed and at risk,” al-Ali said.
For his part, farmer Khaled al-Hammoud, from the same countryside, said the platform added a new layer of bureaucratic procedures instead of reducing them.
He explained that the farmer is now required to secure several documents and data before registration, in addition to needing continuous internet access, which is not available in many villages.
He concluded, “The farmer spends days completing paperwork, trying to register, and waiting for messages, while previously he could go directly to the receiving center.”
Complaints From Tell Brak
In the northeastern Hasakah countryside, farmer Ahmed al-Khalaf, from the Tell Brak area, said the electronic platform does not take into account the conditions of the agricultural season and the time pressure farmers face during the harvest period.
He told Enab Baladi that determining quantities in advance creates an additional problem, because some farmers cannot accurately estimate the final quantity before harvest and transport operations are completed.
He noted that delays in granting a turn force some producers to keep the crop in agricultural fields, or load it onto trucks for long periods while waiting for the delivery appointment.
He added, “Wheat is a strategic crop, and every day of delay increases the chances of loss, whether because of fires or theft.”
Suffering in the Northern Countryside
Farmer Mahmoud al-Salem, from northern Hasakah countryside, said the main problem lies in the weak digital infrastructure on which the platform’s idea was built.
He explained that many farmers, especially older farmers, face difficulty dealing with electronic procedures, which pushes them to seek help from offices or other people in exchange for additional fees.
He added that some farmers had to repeat the registration process more than once because of technical errors or because they did not receive messages containing delivery appointments.
He said, “If the goal is to facilitate procedures, then the mechanism should suit farmers’ reality, not the other way around.”
Accusations of Opening the Door to Violations
Farmers’ complaints go beyond technical aspects, as some speak of concerns that delayed turns could create unofficial channels to speed up the delivery process.
Several farmers believe the long waiting period may push some producers to search for alternative means to obtain closer appointments, opening the door to violations and mediation.
Farmers also point out that trucks loaded with wheat remaining for long periods raise transport costs and double their financial burdens during a season they rely on to cover farming expenses and repay debts accumulated since the beginning of the season.
What Does the Platform Offer?
The Syrian Grain Establishment had approved a new electronic platform during the current season with the aim of organizing wheat receiving operations at approved centers.
The platform allows farmers to book a prior turn to deliver the crop, inquire about invoices electronically, and submit requests related to agricultural areas.
Registration requires creating an electronic account and entering data from the certificate of origin, cultivated areas, wheat type, and the number of vehicles used, then choosing the delivery center and receiving a specified appointment through an electronic message.
According to the establishment, these procedures aim to reduce crowding at receiving centers and improve work efficiency during the season, but their practical implementation has drawn broad criticism from farmers.
Between Digital Transformation and Rural Reality
Agricultural engineer Sami al-Hussein said the idea of digital transformation in the agricultural sector is a necessary step in the long term, but it needs a suitable technical environment before being fully implemented.
He told Enab Baladi that the success of any electronic platform depends on the availability of a stable internet network, communications infrastructure capable of absorbing large numbers of users, and alternatives for areas suffering from weak coverage.
He added that the wheat season is time sensitive, as delays in marketing may directly affect crop quality and storage and transport costs.
He noted that the solution could be to adopt a dual mechanism that allows electronic registration for those who want it, while keeping direct registration outlets inside receiving centers or agricultural extension units, ensuring that supply operations are not disrupted.
He said digital transformation should serve farmers and save their time. But if it becomes an obstacle to marketing the crop, the experience will need to be reassessed and developed.
An Ongoing Marketing Season
These developments come as Hasakah governorate continues wheat harvesting and marketing operations at an accelerating pace, amid estimates pointing to a relative improvement in production compared with some previous seasons, due to improved climatic conditions and the expansion of cultivated areas.
Despite the rise in marketed wheat quantities to tens of thousands of tons since the beginning of the season, the protest that took place in Tell Tamer today reflects the scale of challenges farmers still face during the marketing stage, and brings back to the forefront the debate over the readiness of the agricultural sector’s digital infrastructure to meet producers’ needs during strategic seasons.
While official bodies affirm that the platform was launched to simplify procedures and organize receiving operations, Hasakah farmers continue to demand that the current work mechanism be reconsidered, or that urgent solutions be found for the technical and administrative problems they say have become an obstacle to marketing a crop considered a key pillar of food security in Syria.
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