Syria Achieves Wheat Self-Sufficiency for First Time Since Before Civil War

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Syria has achieved self-sufficiency in wheat production for the first time since before the outbreak of the country's civil war in 2011, a senior grain official said Thursday, marking a significant milestone for a sector devastated by years of conflict and recurring drought.

Ahmed Qadoun, deputy general director of the Syrian Grain Establishment, told AFP that the country will not need to import wheat during the current season after this year's harvest exceeded national demand.

"There won't be any need for wheat imports this season," Qadoun said, adding that Syria had last been self-sufficient in 2010, before the conflict erupted.

According to Syria's state news agency SANA, the Grain Establishment received 2.7 million tons of wheat from across the country during this year's harvest, surpassing the country's estimated annual requirement of 2.55 million tons.

Before the civil war began in 2011, Syria produced an average of 4.1 million tons of wheat annually, allowing it to meet domestic demand and maintain self-sufficiency.

However, more than a decade of war severely damaged the country's agricultural sector, while prolonged drought further reduced crop yields.

The United Nations has described 2025 as Syria's worst year for climate conditions in decades, with extreme weather significantly affecting wheat-growing regions.

During the rule of former ruler Bashar al-Assad, Syria relied heavily on wheat imports, particularly from its ally Russia, to offset declining domestic production.

Following the change in government in 2024, Syria continued importing wheat and receiving grain donations from several countries, including Russia and Iraq, to address domestic shortages.

Throughout the conflict, the former Syrian government also competed with the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration in northeastern Syria to purchase wheat from farmers in the country's most fertile agricultural areas, many of which remained outside Damascus' control.

In January, Damascus and Syria's Kurdish authorities reached an agreement to integrate Kurdish-led security forces and civilian institutions into the Syrian state, a move expected to improve coordination over agricultural production and grain procurement in the northeast.

Despite the strong harvest, food security remains a major challenge. The United Nations said in June that more than 13 million Syrians—over half of the country's population—continue to face acute food insecurity after years of war, economic hardship, and climate-related shocks.