ZEYNEB XELÎF

Deir ez-Zor– Sesame is one of the important means of living of those living in the rural area in the eastern Deir ez-Zor. When security was ensured in the area in 2019, people started planting sesame seeds. The Euphrates River plays an important role in growing sesame seeds in the region. However, when Turkey cut off the water of the river and it caused a drop in the Euphrates River water level. Farmers living near the river have been affected by this situation. Despite this situation, women of Deir ez-Zor planted sesame seeds and now they are harvesting them.

Mihemed El-İbrahim told us that sesame is an important means of living for them to maintain their lives. Most women harvest sesame seeds in the region, Mihemed El-İbrahim said that they collect sesame seeds by hand and then package them. “If we harvest them late, they will fall on the ground so we must harvest them in time.”

They harvest sesame seeds twice a year

Aya El-İbrahim told us that they plant sesame in December, “We harvest them in September, and then we plant sesame in June and harvest them in December.” Planting sesame seeds is very hard work, “because we don’t have new machines. We still use axes and shovels to plant them. We plant them in soft soil so that the birds cannot eat the seeds. We water them three or four times a year and we harvest sesame seeds twice a year.”

Water shortage affects sesame seeds

Noha El-Saleh also told us they don’t have new machines to plant sesame seeds, “Planting them is very hard work. Women work in every phase; they plant, water, and harvest sesame seeds. Turkey's reducing the Euphrates River level also affects the sesame yields. We had to dig wells.”

Mariam Al-Hamad told us they put sesame seeds in the sun to dry them and then package them.