Syria's bumper wheat harvest gives hope for end to food shortages but challenges remain

The country has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the world, according to the UN

Wheat is unloaded from a combine harvester before being packed in sacks in a field south of Damascus. AFP

Syria’s ailing economy has received a significant boost from an improved wheat harvest that is set to slash grain imports by as much as 50 per cent.

After a decade plagued by war, poor rainfall, fuel shortages and high fertiliser prices, the farming industry is finally on the mend as the annual yield approaches a pre-war yearly estimate of up to four million tonnes.

Muhammad Al Khalaf, head of the Agricultural Affairs Office of the General Federation of Farmers, said the wheat had been sorted at receiving centres since May, “with the expected harvest set to be between 1.5 and two million tonnes”.

The figures do not take into account areas in the north held by Turkish-backed militias, as well as Idlib, which lies on the border with Turkey and is controlled by militants.

These areas, home to millions of displaced people, are dependent on foreign aid.

The government figures also exclude areas in the north-east held by US-backed Kurdish militias who took control of the land after a bloody war against ISIS between 2014 and 2019.

Wheat is harvested on the outskirts of the rebel-held Syrian city of Idlib. AFP

Although short of Syria’s estimated annual requirement of 3.2 million tonnes, it represents a major push towards self-sufficiency – one in which 60 per cent of the country's needs are due to be met domestically.

For a country that has the sixth-highest level of food insecurity in the world, according to the UN's World Food Programme, this is welcome news as an estimated 12.1 million Syrians – more than half the population – are at risk of starving.

Agriculture Minister Mohammad Qatna said the rains were delayed at the beginning of the season but “all the planned areas were cultivated and the rainfall distribution was good”.

“Anticipated imports will be about 50 per cent of what Syria used to import in past years,” he said.

The strong yield has triggered a rush as farmers seek to sell their crops to local authorities.

However, the official government purchase price of 2,800 Syrian pounds (about $1.15) per kilogram has led proved controversial as farmers feel the economic squeeze despite the bullish forecast.

Fuel crisis presents headwind

Farmer Ahmad Sobhi told The National “it has been a prosperous harvest, the wages are up 15 per cent from last season and the mood is far more encouraging. We had a severe shortage previously, and prices were high globally because of the situation in Ukraine”.

“Even with insufficient quantities of subsidised diesel, we were able to make significant progress,” he said.

“We still have a major issue with the official price of wheat. It's too low, even to fully cover the costs in some situations [and] that only helps the black market.

“We are looking for almost double the government price; it's not enough to pay for everything. This is our livelihood and we need a reward for this season.”

Farmers use five litres of diesel to irrigate 1,000 square metres, with expenses soaring after they purchase fertiliser and seeds.

In response, the Syrian Agricultural Affairs Office ruled out the possibility of farmers selling their harvest to merchants due to their dissatisfaction with the official price.

The union representing farmers in the provinces agreed that the pricing was unfair, prompting the Higher Committee of Agriculture to call for it to be raised to at least 3,000 pounds ($40) a kilogram.

Ahmed Khalaf, the head of the Marketing and Manufacturing Office in the farmers' union, said farmers would be reluctant to plant wheat next season if the price was not changed and warned that they would probably cultivate crops that would give them a better income.

However, despite the absence of crucial agricultural reforms such as improved irrigation to save water, the increase in wheat yield is a positive sign for Damascus.

Ukraine and its western backers have accused Russia of masking exports of wheat “plundered” from Russian-controlled Crimea.

Syria's wheat imports averaged about 1.5 million tonnes of wheat last year, with grain shipments from Russia up 17-fold to account for the lion's share.