For the first time in years, Syria announces self-sufficiency in wheat

After years of relying on imports to meet Syria’s wheat needs, Syrians have this year achieved self-sufficiency for the first time in years, even going so far as to export the surplus.

Syria’s General Establishment for Supply and Procurement announced a tender to sell 200,000 tons of Syrian hard wheat (second and third grade) held by the Syrian Grain Establishment, which exceeds the country’s milling requirements, for the benefit of the General Establishment for Supply and Procurement, in accordance with the specifications and detailed conditions set out in the tender documents, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

This step is a healthy economic indicator that can serve as a foundation for restoring Syria’s food sovereignty. Historically, reaching wheat self-sufficiency has blocked any attempts to blackmail Syria in its political decisions by exerting economic pressure.

During the years of the long war, the Syrian state was unable to purchase the entire wheat harvest from farmers, as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) contested this, and war conditions prevented the full utilization of agricultural lands in the Syrian Al-Hasakah region (the Syrian Jazira). This forced the state at the time to import its wheat needs, at a significant cost in foreign currency, a situation the current Syrian authorities are seeking to avoid.