Syria is awaiting a bumper season of wheat, after heavy rainfall this year, which has increased farmers’ hopes of achieving better returns from the strategic crop.
The Ministry of Economy and Industry issued a decision setting the purchase price of first-class durum wheat at 4,600 Syrian pounds per ton, considering that the step comes within the framework of supporting the agricultural sector and enhancing food security.
However, the decision was met with objections from farmers. A member of the Farmers’ Union, Muhammad al-Khalif, told the Syrian newspaper “Al-Watan” that the farmers are not satisfied with the specified price, after they had hoped that it would exceed 5 thousand Syrian pounds, especially with the abundance of production this season.
He pointed out that there was widespread dissatisfaction among farmers, calling for a reconsideration of the pricing to ensure a return that covers production costs and encourages the expansion of cultivated areas.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Economy confirmed that setting the price aims to encourage local production of durum wheat, as it is an essential crop in the food security system, and to provide a balance between farmers and the market.
But the objections began to take a field turn, as community sources in Deir ez-Zor reported to RT that activists and farmers in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa called for peaceful protests to demand raising the purchase price of wheat in proportion to the cost of production and living conditions.
Farmer Ahmed Al-Jassem told RT that the price offered is not consistent with the amount of costs incurred by farmers, including fertilizers, fuel, and facing weather fluctuations and agricultural pests.
In turn, farmer Khaled Matar saw the current price as “frustrating,” warning of its repercussions on the incentive of farmers to continue growing wheat or expand the cultivated areas in the future.
