Shafaq News – Damascus

Syria’s olive harvest has fallen by more than 45% this season compared to last year, the Ministry of Agriculture reported on Monday.

Olives are a strategic crop in Syria, covering roughly 12% of the country’s agricultural land. The nation cultivates about 679,000 hectares with roughly 101 million trees, 90 million of which are productive, across more than 70 varieties for oil and table consumption.

Abir Jawhar, director of the Olive Office at the Ministry of Agriculture, told Shafaq News that about 85% of Syria’s olive groves are rain-fed, making them highly vulnerable to drought. She attributed the decline to climate change, reduced rainfall, extreme heat, and widespread wildfires, noting that limited access to fertilizer and irrigation further reduced production. She described this season as “naturally a low-yield year.”

Wildfires have destroyed thousands of hectares, forced evacuations, and raised concerns about long-term environmental and public health impacts. Firefighting operations involve over 150 teams from Syria’s Civil Defense, with support from neighboring countries.

Read more: Syria’s inferno: Nature and health at risk

Jawhar said the ministry is implementing strategies to develop the olive value chain, including applying good agricultural practices, providing technical support to farmers, and distributing improved saplings adapted to each region. Olive mills follow Syrian Standard 4083 to ensure high-quality extra virgin olive oil for local and international markets.

The ministry estimates total olive output at around 412,000 tons, down from 750,000 tons last year, with olive oil production at approximately 66,000 tons. Figures are based on field surveys conducted by provincial agriculture directorates.