The Syrian Grain Establishment concluded the 2026 wheat marketing season after receiving about 2.75 million tons of the crop, exceeding estimated domestic demand of around 2.55 million tons and leaving a surplus of nearly 200,000 tons, according to government data on the season’s results.

The quantities delivered this season came amid higher production compared with previous years, when wheat output declined because of drought and difficult weather conditions, as well as the administrative division that affected areas of northeastern Syria in recent years.

Al-Hasakah (northeastern Syria) ranked first among Syrian governorates in wheat production and marketing during the 2026 season. Around 1.16 million tons were marketed from the governorate, equivalent to approximately 42.2% of the total amount received by the Syrian Grain Establishment nationwide.

Ahmad Qadoun, deputy director general of the Syrian Grain Establishment, told Enab Baladi that the establishment regarded the current wheat season as a “historic turning point,” noting that its staff worked around the clock to handle the season’s requirements, including receipt and storage operations.

Qadoun added that the establishment considered the season’s results an achievement given the challenges it faced. He said, “The 2026 wheat season represents a historic turning point, as the establishment’s staff, who worked around the clock like a beehive, succeeded in turning challenges and destruction into an exceptional achievement represented by reaching self-sufficiency and supporting the state’s strategic reserves.”

Maintenance of Facilities and Provision of Receipt Centers

Qadoun said the establishment faced damage to storage facilities and storage capacity during the season, explaining that its work included assessing the condition of these facilities and developing measures to bring facilities that could be repaired back into operation.

He said, “Despite the damage and destruction that affected storage facilities and capacities, the establishment refused to accept the situation and formed technical committees that assessed the condition of the facilities. It developed an urgent emergency plan to repair centers that could be put directly into service, as well as a timetable for other facilities, while equipping purchasing centers with devices and technology to make the process easier for farmers and spare them the burden of traveling to distant centers.”

According to Qadoun, the mechanisms used during the season included organizing receipt operations through an electronic system, along with advance booking of appointments at delivery centers.

He said, “Receipt operations were managed through the electronic platform system and advance appointment booking, which eliminated long waiting lines in front of delivery centers.”

Regarding the wheat purchase price and transportation costs, Qadoun said the establishment adopted a price he described as “profitable,” while covering the costs of transportation, shipping and transfers between governorates.

He added, “A price he described as favorable to farmers was approved, the highest in the region, with presidential support. The establishment also covered all shipping and transportation costs, as well as wheat transfer costs between governorates, to ease the burden on farmers.”

Special Measures in Eastern Governorates

As production and deliveries increased in the eastern governorates, Qadoun said the establishment adopted what he described as exceptional and urgent logistical measures to handle the volume of wheat delivered, particularly amid heavy production and high demand at purchasing and storage centers.

He said, “Given the intensive production in the eastern governorates and the unprecedented level of deliveries, the establishment adopted a package of exceptional and urgent logistical measures:

• Opening and preparing open-air storage yards: The establishment launched an urgent emergency plan to open and prepare open-air yards and expanded storage areas equipped to accommodate large shipments immediately upon delivery, increasing storage capacity to handle delivery pressure.
• Isolating and protecting the crop: All open-air storage yards were supplied with technical protection and safety materials, including insulation, tarpaulins, approved fabric and plastic coverings, and storage platforms, to protect stored wheat from weather conditions and preserve its quality and viability.
• Logistical support: Additional purchasing and storage centers were urgently opened, alongside an immediate shipping and transfer mechanism between governorates to clear the centers continuously without imposing any additional costs on farmers.”

These measures came during a season that saw large delivery volumes, particularly in al-Hasakah, where around 1.16 million tons of wheat were marketed.

The increase in wheat marketed from al-Hasakah followed years in which production in the region declined because of weather conditions and drought, at a time when the governorate had historically been one of Syria’s main grain-producing areas.

Wheat Surplus and Strategic Reserves

Regarding the handling of quantities that exceeded planned levels, Qadoun said the establishment is working to add the surplus to its reserves, alongside quantities stored from previous seasons.

He explained, “With the quantities received exceeding planned levels, the establishment is working to place the entire surplus into storage and add it to quantities carried over from previous seasons, with the aim of making full use of available storage capacity to build the largest possible safe strategic reserve that guarantees supply stability and the sustainability of bread production.”

Wheat is one of the basic crops linked to securing bread supplies in Syria. As a result, marketing, receipt and storage operations during the 2026 season formed a central part of the Syrian Grain Establishment’s work, amid the domestic market’s need to secure sufficient wheat for consumption and bread production.

Wheat Pricing and Farmers’ Protests

Wheat pricing had sparked controversy among farmers and experts, particularly after a decree issued by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa granted an additional bonus of 9,000 new Syrian pounds, about $65, for every ton delivered by farmers to government receipt centers. The decree followed a decision by the Ministry of Economy and Industry setting the price of one ton of durum wheat at 46,000 Syrian pounds, about $330.

The Ministry of Economy and Industry’s decision angered farmers, who demonstrated in several Syrian cities to protest pricing they described as unfair. The presidential decree subsequently revised the price, but the final rate still failed to satisfy many farmers, while others considered it a measure that reduced losses resulting from rising costs.

Payment Mechanisms

In the same context, a decision by the Agricultural Cooperative Bank concerning the mechanism for paying farmers their dues for the 2025-2026 grain season raised concerns among farmers in several governorates. The concerns followed a decision to allocate part of the payments to electronic transfers through the “Sham Cash” application at a time when cash remains widely used, particularly in agricultural areas.

According to a circular issued by the Agricultural Cooperative Bank, 25% of farmers’ net payments are transferred to their accounts on “Sham Cash,” while the remaining 75% is paid according to the procedures adopted by the bank.