afrinpost-exclusive
A team from the “Olive Branch Agricultural Chamber” conducted an inspection tour of olive oil presses in Afrin, ensuring their readiness for the upcoming season, which is scheduled to start on Tuesday, October 15, 2024.
On October 2, Hatay Governor Mustafa Masatlı visited the olive oil packaging plant in Afrin during his regular tour of the occupied Afrin region.
The start of the olive harvest, which began in early September, has been marked by widespread theft. Local militias have canceled agency agreements for the olive groves of absent citizens, managed by their relatives, allowing them to steal the harvest. Despite high protection fees paid by locals per tree, olives continue to be stolen, and the stolen olives are already being pressed in militia-run facilities.
Traditionally, the olive season in Afrin begins in mid-October, after the first autumn rains, which enhance the oil yield and quality. However, this year, the theft and destruction of trees have escalated.
For example, militants from the “Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade (Al-Amshat)” burned 335 olive trees in the village of Hesseh in Mabeta/Maabatli because the owners could not pay the imposed fees. Additionally, the joint forces of “Al-Amshat” and “Al-Hamzat,” led by Abu Kasser, stole olives from around 150 trees in the village of Ma’arska in Sharan sub-district.
In Jindires, the “Hamza Division” has begun harvesting olives from the groves of displaced citizens after canceling their relatives’ agency agreements, fully seizing the fields without covering the agricultural service costs for the past two years.
Meanwhile, in the village of Qurna in Bulbul, militants from the “Sultan Murad Division” led by Adnan Al-Khweiled (Abu Walid Al-Izza) imposed a 60% tax on the olive production from displaced-owned fields managed by their relatives. They have threatened to seize the groves if the tax is not paid.
