The former Syrian Minister of Economy, Lamia Assi, called for pricing wheat for farmers according to international prices, with the addition of shipping, insurance and other costs, and not based on a cost study.
In a post she wrote on her personal Facebook account, Assi indicated that regime officials calculate seeds, fertilizers, diesel and other production requirements, while on the ground, farmers buy a large part of these materials at black market prices.
“The security of availability of wheat is vital and important, linked to people’s food security,” Assi added.
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The regime’s Ministry of Agriculture prices a kilo of wheat for this season at 1,700 Syrian pounds, with an addition of 300 pounds as a delivery bonus for areas under the regime’s control, and 400 pounds for areas outside its control, while the “Syrian Democratic Forces” price wheat at 2,200 pounds.
International wheat prices have doubled since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war at the end of last February, reaching more than 450 dollars per ton, excluding shipping costs, after they were less than $250 per ton before the war.
The costs of a ton of wheat arriving at Syrian ports are about $700 per ton, including the costs of shipping, insurance, loading and unloading, according to previous statements by a regime official in the commercial sector.
The Syrian conflict – which led to the loss of at least 500,000 lives and displaced more than 13,2 million people – began in 2011 after the Assad regime brutally cracked down on peaceful pro-democracy protests.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
