Syria’s ailing economy has received a significant boost from an improved wheat harvest that is set to slash grain imports by as much as 50 per cent.
After a decade plagued by war, poor rainfall, fuel shortages and high fertiliser prices, the farming industry is finally on the mend as the annual yield approaches a pre-war yearly estimate of up to four million tonnes.
Muhammad Al Khalaf, head of the Agricultural Affairs Office of the General Federation of Farmers, said the wheat had been sorted at receiving centres since May, “with the expected harvest set to be between 1.5 and two million tonnes”.
The figures do not take into account areas in the north held by Turkish-backed militias, as well as Idlib, which lies on the border with Turkey and is controlled by militants.
These areas, home to millions of displaced people, are dependent on foreign aid.
The government figures also exclude areas in the north-east held by US-backed Kurdish militias who took control of the land after a bloody war against ISIS between 2014 and 2019.
Although short of Syria’s estimated annual requirement of 3.2 million tonnes, it represents a major push towards self-sufficiency – one in which 60 per cent of the country's needs are due to be met domestically.
For a country that has the sixth-highest level of food insecurity in the world, according to the UN's World Food Programme, this is welcome news as an estimated 12.1 million Syrians – more than half the population – are at risk of starving.
Agriculture Minister Mohammad Qatna said the rains were delayed at the beginning of the season but “all the planned areas were cultivated and the rainfall distribution was good”.
“Anticipated imports will be about 50 per cent of what Syria used to import in past years,” he said.
The strong yield has triggered a rush as farmers seek to sell their crops to local authorities.
However, the official government purchase price of 2,800 Syrian pounds (about $1.15) per kilogram has led proved controversial as farmers feel the economic squeeze despite the bullish forecast.
Fuel crisis presents headwind
Farmer Ahmad Sobhi told The National “it has been a prosperous harvest, the wages are up 15 per cent from last season and the mood is far more encouraging. We had a severe shortage previously, and prices were high globally because of the situation in Ukraine”.
“Even with insufficient quantities of subsidised diesel, we were able to make significant progress,” he said.
“We still have a major issue with the official price of wheat. It's too low, even to fully cover the costs in some situations [and] that only helps the black market.
“We are looking for almost double the government price; it's not enough to pay for everything. This is our livelihood and we need a reward for this season.”
Farmers use five litres of diesel to irrigate 1,000 square metres, with expenses soaring after they purchase fertiliser and seeds.
In response, the Syrian Agricultural Affairs Office ruled out the possibility of farmers selling their harvest to merchants due to their dissatisfaction with the official price.
The union representing farmers in the provinces agreed that the pricing was unfair, prompting the Higher Committee of Agriculture to call for it to be raised to at least 3,000 pounds ($40) a kilogram.
Ahmed Khalaf, the head of the Marketing and Manufacturing Office in the farmers' union, said farmers would be reluctant to plant wheat next season if the price was not changed and warned that they would probably cultivate crops that would give them a better income.
However, despite the absence of crucial agricultural reforms such as improved irrigation to save water, the increase in wheat yield is a positive sign for Damascus.
Ukraine and its western backers have accused Russia of masking exports of wheat “plundered” from Russian-controlled Crimea.
Syria's wheat imports averaged about 1.5 million tonnes of wheat last year, with grain shipments from Russia up 17-fold to account for the lion's share.
Paltan
Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios
Director: JP Dutta
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane
Rating: 2/5
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
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Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
The five pillars of Islam
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
SPEC%20SHEET
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From Zero
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Label: Warner Records
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
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'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Scores in brief:
- New Medical Centre 129-5 in 17 overs bt Zayed Cricket Academy 125-6 in 20 overs.
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
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Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
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Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
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Doucoure 90'
The%20specs
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Company%20profile
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- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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