Extreme shortfall in staple crops in farmers’ market: ‘halved’

Syria’s olive farmers are facing their worst harvest season yet. Changing weather patterns and prolonged conflict have affected crop production, threatened food security and increased food prices.

what’s going on

Before the civil war that began in 2011, Syria was a major global olive producer.

According to the Arab Reform Initiative, the country had more than 79 million olive trees, producing about 1.1 million tons of olives. According to the Syrian Observer, there were 6.5 million olive trees in Daraa province, covering 30,000 hectares.

At the beginning of the war, the production of olives in Daraa was 75,800 tons per year direct to Syria. During the conflict, this number decreased as olive farmers were forced to abandon their trees and fields in search of safety. By 2022, olive production in Daraa reached a low of 22,300 tons annually, a 70% decline.

Despite data showing a steady increase in olive production since 2022, this past crop season, cursed by the worst drought in four decades, produced the lowest production on record.

In 2025, Dara’s olive farmers produced only 10,000 tons of olives – a 68% decrease compared to production in 2024.

“The current season is one of the worst in more than 20 years. The yield per olive tree has halved compared to last year,” said Muawiya al-Jobi, an olive farmer in eastern Daraa, according to Syria Direct.

Why is declining crop production important?

Olive trees are native to Syria.

Native plants are generally adapted to local climates and are drought-tolerant due to their root systems, which allow them to source water and nutrients from deep underground.

However, this year’s olive harvest shows that the extreme drought in Syria and surrounding countries has taken such a toll that even native plants are struggling to survive.

Droughts and other extreme weather events, including flash floods and monsoons, have devastated farmers worldwide.

For example, almond production in Portugal fell by 85% due to heavy rains. A historic drought in Vermont caused a major drop in corn production. India’s farmers faced the worst monsoon in 45 years, damaging key crops like grapes.

Crop loss not only affects food availability for local communities, it also increases production costs for farmers. This increased cost is passed on to consumers through increased grocery prices.

What is happening to the declining crop production?

Climate change and rising temperatures will have major impacts on crop production, emphasizing the importance of adopting climate-resilient agricultural practices.

Although extreme weather conditions cannot be easily predicted, trends show that these catastrophic events are becoming more frequent and intense. The agricultural industry must adapt to protect the global food supply.

Watermelon farmers in Florida have used automatic irrigation systems that water their fields without wasting any vital resources. The technology, which serves more than 1,883 acres of farmland, has saved more than 165 million gallons of water compared to conventional irrigation systems.

Researchers in Kenya have developed a mobile solar irrigation system that provides water to farmers during dry seasons. This development allows farmers to protect their crops without having to radically change infrastructure to support additional irrigation.

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