The General Secretariat of the Syrian Presidency met on Saturday, September 27, with Agriculture Minister Amjad Badr, Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir, and Finance Minister Mohammed Yosr Bernieh to discuss preparations for the upcoming winter farming season and ways to support farmers to sustain agricultural production amid the ongoing drought.

During the meeting at the Presidency headquarters in Damascus, Agriculture Minister Badr outlined the difficulties facing the agricultural sector and the obstacles to providing essential inputs for production. A proposal was put forward to offer interest-free loans to farmers.

Finance Minister Bernieh confirmed his ministry’s readiness to allocate the necessary funding for these loans once the study is submitted.

At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to hold a follow-up session next week to review the implementation of recommendations and ensure ministerial compliance with the agreed steps.

FAO: Wheat shortage exceeding two million tons

In May, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that this year’s severe drought in Syria could wipe out an estimated 75% of the local wheat harvest, threatening the food security of millions.

Reuters quoted FAO’s representative in Syria, Tony Eitel, as saying that the agency expects a shortage of 2.7 million tons of wheat this year, enough to feed 16.3 million people for one year.

A report issued the same month by FAO highlighted the sharp increase in global hunger due to forced displacement. The organization said that nearly 95 million forcibly displaced people, including internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, and refugees, live in countries facing food crises, including Syria.

Low rainfall season

Syria has experienced a season of low rainfall this year, raising farmers’ fears over water security and agricultural production, according to a previous Enab Baladi report.

Rainfall has declined by more than 45% compared to previous years, leaving most areas classified as agricultural stability zones barren or semi-arid, according to Syria’s General Directorate of Meteorology.

For the first time in nearly half a century, the Orontes River (Asi River) has dried up, with the loss of its sources in Mount Lebanon and other tributaries directly affecting water flow.

The drying of the Orontes has severely impacted irrigation for farmland and prompted locals to exploit the situation by fishing, raising the risk of a catastrophic collapse of fish stocks as well.