Mustafa Muahad, the director of the Agriculture and Agricultural Reform Directorate in Idlib, northern Syria, stated that the areas cultivated with wheat have decreased this year compared to last year’s cultivated area in the province for several reasons, which will affect the province’s production volume of the crop.
Muahad explained in an interview with Enab Baladi that the area planted with irrigated wheat in the governorate this year amounts to 9,650 hectares, and 22,300 hectares of rainfed wheat.
In contrast, the area in 2024 reached 13,732 hectares for irrigated wheat and 25,382 hectares for rainfed wheat.
The director of the Agriculture Directorate confirmed the decrease in cultivation percentage this year, stating that the percentage of irrigated wheat cultivation is about 70.27% of its area last year, while the percentage of land planted with rainfed wheat constituted 87.85% of the area cultivated with the crop in 2024.
Regarding initial estimates for wheat production in Idlib province, Muahad indicated that the expected production quantity is projected to reach 34,000 tons of irrigated wheat and 4,000 tons of rainfed wheat.
Muahad pointed out that the most significant issues this year are related to rising irrigation costs due to drought and limited rainfall, and reliance on irrigation as a primary source (diesel, electricity, solar energy), which led to a decrease in the areas planted with irrigated wheat.
He added that the exit of more than 90% of cultivated areas from production due to drought and reduced rainfall also resulted in a decline in the rate of rainfed wheat cultivation, according to the statement from the director of the Agriculture Directorate in Idlib.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations stated in a report released in early April that the current season’s grain production in Syria is expected to be lower than the average production in all past years, and that dry weather conditions and security fears hinder grain production in 2025.
Production: 19% of the needs
Saeed Ibrahim, the director of the Agricultural Economy and Planning Directorate in the Ministry of Agriculture, told Enab Baladi earlier in May that the estimated production for the wheat crop this year reached 772,838 tons, according to the general condition of the crop (good, average, weak), and that production estimates are expected to decrease due to the exit of most rainfed areas from the estimates, in addition to including part of them for grazing (as they did not reach the harvest stage due to poor plant growth).
The official in the Ministry of Agriculture indicated that Syria’s wheat needs are estimated at 4 million tons (based on the population in Syria, which was estimated at 22.5 million people in 2020). Therefore, the estimated production represents 19% of the need, indicating a shortfall of about 80% in meeting the needs of the population.
Wheat cultivation area decreases in Idlib: What are the reasons? Enab Baladi.
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