Returning to their orchards after years of war, Syrian pistachio farmers intent on reviving their valuable crop have had their hopes dashed by scorched trees and the effects of climate change. Farmers near the north-western village of Maan are harvesting just a quarter of the crop they gathered before the war, grower Nayef Ibrahim says.
Mr Ibrahim and his family left their farms when the area became a frontline in the conflict that erupted in 2011. They returned after government forces drove out rebels in 2019. A successful harvest on his farm will likely take longer, with the road to recovery slowed by "the lack of rainfall, climate change as a whole, and the lack of basic materials that a farmer needs," he stated.
Syria saw its worst drought in more than 70 years in 2021, with harvests across the country hit hard, according to the International Rescue Committee aid group.
Source: abc.net.au