ReliefWeb

•Large rainfall deficits in the 2013-2014 season will have a major impact on Syria’s next cereal harvest. With three quarters of the rainfall season gone, it is unlikely that there will be a significant recovery in this agricultural season. This is part of a wider regional pattern of dry conditions across the Middle East.

•Drought conditions will further compound the impacts of civil war on the agricultural sector – major deterioration of Syria’s irrigated capacity, confirmed by satellite imagery, will cause lasting damage to national cereal production.

•The cereal production outlook for the current season is pessimistic; accounting for the effect of conflict and dry weather, wheat production is expected to be between the record lows of 1.7 to 2.0 million tonnes. This will further increase import requirements to meet Syria’s wheat needs which last year stood at 5.1 million tonnes.

•Additional factors will further strain Syria’s food security situation: an unfavourable regional crop production scenario, increased import dependence and likely market price increases against the backdrop of a gloomy macro-economic situation.