Fuel Prices Threaten Cotton Plantations

Cotton farmers in the northwestern area of Aleppo and the northeastern area of Hasaka are abandoning their plantations because they can no longer afford fuel for irrigation, the DamasPost site reported on May 25.



The pro-government site said the cost of cotton farming had increased fourfold recently because of rising kerosene prices. It quoted a farmer as saying the costs of watering one dunum (1,000 square metres) had gone from 2,000 to 8,000 lira (40 to 160 US dollars) because of the rising cost of kerosene used to run irrigation systems.



The farmer said he was renting out his land to shepherds in order to cover his expenses through the end of the farming season. Another farmer said he had left his plantation after it dried up because he could not afford to water it.