ALEPPO — In a statement released June 13, the local council in the town of al-Rai — which is in the Operation Euphrates Shield area in Aleppo’s countryside — announced the Turkish government’s readiness to buy grain from farmers. The Turkish office for agricultural crops, affiliated with the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture, will be buying the grain from the farmers in Aleppo through the local council’s agricultural office, its director Mohammad Fawzi Rashid explained to Al-Monitor.

The local council’s agricultural office will receive the grain and store it in silos in al-Rai. There are no current plans to move the grain inside Turkish territory, according to council officials.

The valleys of Aleppo's northern and northeastern countrysides are known for the cultivation of various types of grain. Wheat and barley are the most common because of the suitable climate and appropriate soil for cultivation. Other less-common crops, like lentils, chickpeas, fava beans and corn, are also grown in the area. 

After the Turkish government announced its decision to purchase the grain through the local office in al-Rai, prices increased.