Syria Breaks Free From Wheat Imports After 14 Years
For the first time since the civil war erupted in 2011, Syria has managed to grow enough wheat to cover its own needs, an agriculture official confirmed on Thursday a development being seen as a major step forward for the nation’s food security after more than a decade of leaning on imports to keep bread on the table.
The prolonged conflict battered the country’s farming sector, and things only got tougher with successive years of drought. The United Nations noted that 2025 brought the harshest climate Syria had experienced in decades, further straining land used for wheat cultivation. Officials at the Syrian Grain Establishment revealed that the country would not need to bring in any wheat from abroad this season, pointing out that Syria had not reached this level of self-reliance since 2010.
According to a report by state news agency SANA on Wednesday, the grain body had gathered 2.7 million tons of wheat from farms across the country during this year’s harvest well above the 2.55 million tons needed annually to meet domestic demand.
Before war broke out in 2011, Syria used to produce close to 4.1 million tons of wheat every year, comfortably meeting its own requirements. That changed once fighting and dry spells disrupted agricultural output, pushing former ruler Bashar Assad’s regime to depend on imports, with Russia serving as a key supplier during those years.
Since a new administration took over the country in 2024, Syria has continued to receive wheat consignments and aid from nations such as Russia and Iraq, helping cover shortfalls while local production found its footing again.
Yet challenges persist. The UN reported in June that more than 13 million Syrians over half the population are still grappling with severe food insecurity, a reminder that despite this agricultural milestone, the broader crisis is far from over.