Syria’s Wheat Production Improves in 2015

Syria’s food production has increased this year mainly due to favorable rains, but it remains way below its pre-crisis levels, according to a report published recently by two UN agencies.

The 2015 wheat crop is expected to be better than the 2014 drought stricken harvest, but will not lead to significant improvements in the overall household food security situation, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP) said in their report.

“Although Syria’s current harvest is better than expected due to abundant rains, the country’s agriculture sector remains decimated by the current crisis. Urgent donor support is needed to ensure farmers can meet the upcoming cereal planting season, beginning in October,” said Dominique Burgeon, Director of FAO’s Emergency and Rehabilitation Division.

Agricultural production continues to be impeded by shortages of fuel, farm labor and agricultural inputs, including seeds and fertilizers; high input costs and unreliable quality; as well as damages to irrigation systems and farming equipment. These factors are compounding the food insecurity situation in the country.

Wheat production in 2015, estimated at 2.445 million tones, is expected to be better than the very poor harvest of 2014 and slightly better than that of 2013. Yet, it is still 40 percent lower than pre-crisis production levels. The country faces a wheat deficit of about 800 000 tones out of its yearly requirement of nearly 5 million tones, the report said.

Livestock production is also gravely affected by the crisis. The sector, once a major contributor to Syria’s domestic economy and to its external trade, has seen reductions of 30 per cent in cattle and 40 per cent in sheep and goats, while poultry has shrunk by 50 per cent.

The main precondition for ensuring that people in Syria have adequate access to food, the FAO-WFP report provides a set of recommendations aimed at improving the current food situation, stressing the need for food assistance to the afflicted areas of the country.

It recommends assistance to boost wheat and other cereal production through the provision of good quality seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs.

In order to strengthen the resilience of affected communities, it further recommends supporting the establishment of village-based private seed production and distribution centers, promoting backyard vegetable and poultry production through distribution of improved seeds and chicks, as well as providing livestock vaccines and veterinary drugs.

Prepared By:

Sh. Kh