Citrus growers on Syria's coast report that long-standing policy decisions on imports and marketing continue to affect production and profitability. Farmers interviewed in Latakia and Tartus state that past export restrictions, approvals for Lebanese banana imports during the peak citrus period, and practices in wholesale markets have reduced economic returns and encouraged a shift toward other crops. Growers say production costs carried from April until harvest in November depend heavily on weather conditions that can affect yields.
The Ministry of Agriculture's Citrus Office estimates preliminary national production at about 590,000 tons, mainly from Latakia and Tartus. In Latakia, citrus covers 31,000 ha, with 10.2 million trees supporting around 44,000 households. The expected output is close to 440,000 tons. Wholesale prices range from US$0.25 to US$1.09 per kilo at an exchange rate of 11,900 Syrian pounds to the dollar. Local authorities report no marketing bottlenecks so far due to lower volumes compared with previous seasons.
To avoid future disruptions, Latakia's Agriculture Directorate stresses continuous monitoring of marketing during the November to January peak and raising issues to provincial committees for resolution.
In Tartus, citrus covers about 9,200 ha with more than 3.2 million fruit-bearing trees. Preliminary production is 149,800 tons, about 2,000 tons above last year. The Directorate relies on biological-control programs using natural enemies bred at the Citrus Research Center, resulting in fruit without pesticide residues.
Production is concentrated in four groups: Sour citrus, including Meyer and Regular lemon; sweet oranges, including Jaffa and Valencia; mandarins, including Clementine and Satsuma; and grapefruit species. Harvests span from September to late April.
Compared with the ten-year average, production has declined by 38.2 per cent. The Citrus Office attributes this to heatwaves during flowering, lower fruit set, reduced fertilizer use due to input costs, and water shortages caused by low dam levels. The director notes that "the current situation of farmers is favorable in terms of improved prices despite lower production," with mandarin prices up to 120 per cent higher than last season. Higher farm-gate prices have encouraged some growers to resume orchard care.
The Ministry of Agriculture plans to restrict citrus imports during local production periods and guide growers toward varieties suited to specific zones to distribute volume more evenly through the year. Authorities also continue supporting biological-control programs, which they say could help the sector meet international certification requirements if verification bodies return to Syria.
Officials state that tropical and subtropical crops do not replace citrus due to frost risks and are instead used to serve local markets. Strategies under discussion include increasing private-sector investment in sorting and packing plants, improving efficiency in existing facilities, expanding market access for exports, establishing a processing plant for value-added citrus products in Latakia, reducing intermediary margins, improving invoicing systems in wholesale markets, and exploring maritime links to importing countries.
Source: EB
