Syria Faces Severe Wheat Shortage Amid Drought and War Fallout
Welat TV – Erbil
The Director General of the Syrian Grain Establishment, Hassan al-Othman, has revealed an urgent need to secure wheat supplies to meet domestic demand.
In a press statement, al-Othman said Syria requires approximately 2.5 million tons of wheat to cover local needs, while only 375,000 tons have so far been procured from local farmers.
He explained that the remaining shortfall is being covered through imports under external contracts, noting that the wheat deficit currently stands at around 70 percent.
Al-Othman added that the establishment has signed several contracts over recent months to import a total of 1.375 million tons of wheat. He also pointed out that the role of the World Food Program (WFP) in Syria remains limited, with assistance provided to only four governorates through the delivery of 20,000 tons of flour, for a period ranging between six weeks and two months.
Wheat Shipments Arrive at Syrian Ports
The ports of Latakia and Tartous are witnessing the regular arrival of large shipments of imported wheat from several countries in South America, Europe, and elsewhere. These deliveries aim to bridge the supply gap as part of the contracts signed by the Syrian Grain Establishment to secure the country’s basic needs.
Bread Production in Syria: Daily Reality and Consumption Levels
Earlier, the Director General of the Syrian Bakeries Establishment, Mohammad Tariq al-Sayyadi, outlined the current state of bread production in the country.
Al-Sayyadi said the establishment requires about 4,500 tons of flour per day to meet market demand. He noted that there are 354 bakeries affiliated with the institution, of which 272 are operational and 82 are out of service.
According to al-Sayyadi, state-run bakeries need 2,220 tons of flour daily, producing approximately 2.16 million bundles of bread, while private bakeries consume 2,280 tons per day, equivalent to about 2.22 million bundles. This brings Syria’s total daily bread production to roughly 4.39 million bundles.
Agricultural Sector Under Strain
Syria’s agricultural sector continues to suffer from a sharp decline in crop yields due to a severe drought described by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as the worst in decades.
The drought, combined with the ongoing effects of the war that began in 2011, has led to a significant drop in wheat production, which had previously reached around 4 million tons annually before the conflict.
Observers say these factors have resulted in a major depletion of Syria’s strategic wheat reserves, making imports indispensable to ensure the country’s basic food security.
