In a First, Idlib Governorate Offers Absentee-Owned Olive, Almond and Fig Orchards for Public Auction

The regime-run Idlib governorate is continuing to seize lands owned by forcibly displaced absentees, offering the properties for investment via public auctions. For the first time, the latest auctions include agricultural lands cultivated with figs, olives and almond trees, as well as barren lands. Previously, in June and July, the governorate held its second annual auctions for pistachio orchards.

The governorate’s general secretariate announced last month it would hold public auctions to invest in absentee lands, including 1,160 hectares planted with figs, 200 hectares with almond trees, 80 hectares of barren, unwooded land, and 5,285 hectares planted with olives. 

The fig plots are located in Kafruma, Haas, Basqala, Kafr Nubl, Jabala, Maarat Al-Numan, Hazarin, Kursa and Al-Fuqei. They also included a section west of the city of Maarat Al-Numan, along the front line between opposition and regime forces. On the regime side of this line is the Russian-backed 25th Special Mission Forces Division, formerly known as the Tiger Forces. This area regularly witnesses military operations and back-and-forth shelling.

The areas under regime control in the Idlib governorate are divided into three sections, known as the first, second, and third “stability zones” depending on how close they are to the frontlines. The first stability zone is closest to the frontline and thus the most dangerous, followed by the second and third zones. The first zone includes the town of Al-Habit, the cities of Khan Sheikhoun and Maarat Al-Numan, and their western countryside, as well as the cities of Saraqib and Khan Al-Subul. The second zone includes the towns of Al-Tamanah and Al-Tah, extending north to Sinjar. Finally, the third zone includes villages and towns that are further from the frontline, such as the town of Abu Al-Duhur and its countryside.

The western section of Maarat Al-Numan, currently up for investment, is within the first stability zone. This is a military area that the regime forces describe as a “deployment zone,” where civilians are prohibited from residing or returning to their homes. Officers have been dividing up these lands among themselves, with conscripts harvesting and drying the figs via unpaid forced labour. The officers then sell the produce to merchants and fruit and vegetable distributors in the region. Some of the produce is smuggled into opposition areas in Idlib and even to Iraqi markets. 

Previously, neither the Hama nor Idlib governorates had any role in organising these investments; instead, the officers distributed shares of the profits among some local officials. 

However, according to a local correspondent for The Syria Report, the fig orchards were placed under auction after disagreements arose over land- and profit-sharing among regime officers who had been exploiting them for their own benefit. Locals reportedly expect that these lands will be invested in by civilians close to the officers as a way to manage those disputes. This is because it is difficult for civilians to operate in this area without the security cover provided by influential regime officers.

The auctions were held between August 17-23, but solely for show, as the land was awarded to preselected individuals, according to the correspondent. The lands will be officially handed over to the investors through a formal handover record by governorate officials. It appears that the Idlib governorate is in a hurry to offer fig orchards for investment because the fig harvesting season ends in mid-September. The current price per kilogram of fresh figs in Al-Hal markets in the area is SYP 8,000, but most of the figs are sold dried, and they can sell for as much as SYP 30,000. 

During that same period, the Idlib governorate general secretariat offered 200 hectares to be planted with almonds, apricots, peaches and plums for investment in auctions. These lands are spread across areas in southern rural Idlib: Khan Sheikhoun, Al-Tah and the eastern countryside of Maarat Al-Numan. This area is famous for pistachio cultivation and the almond trees are typically planted by farmers along the borders of their lands, rather than as a primary crop.

The governorate also held auctions between August 17-24 for investing in 5,285 hectares of land cultivated with olive trees, distributed across areas under regime control in Khan Sheikhoun, Maarat Al-Numan and Saraqib.

In all these recent auctions, the governorate general secretariat did not specify the investment conditions for lands planted with figs, almonds and olives, nor whether they fall under Public Contract Law No. 51 of 2004, as is the case with other auctions. Also, the announcement did not specify the initial security deposits or minimum bid price, unlike in other auctions.

Meanwhile, the Idlib governorate has announced it will offer 80 hectares of uncultivated, arable land for agricultural investment for the 2023-2024 growing season. The auctions are set to take place September 3-12. 

Unlike the lands cultivated with figs, almonds and olives, these auctions for uncultivated lands have been organised in accordance with Public Contract Law No. 51 of 2004. This decision is based on a letter from the Ministry of Agriculture approving the areas offered for investment and confirming that they align with the ministry’s annual agricultural plans. 

People who wish to participate in these auctions must first obtain security clearance and a certificate of good standing from the governorate’s Financial Directorate. They must also pay an initial deposit of SYP 1 million per hectare and submit an SYP 50,000 technical voucher. The winning bidder will pay 10 percent of the final bid amount as a final deposit to the Idlib governorate.