Latest news with #wheat
Malay Mail
10 hours ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Wheat becomes battleground as Syria's worst drought in 60 years threatens 16 million
DAMASCUS, June 28 — Rival Syrian and Kurdish producers are scrambling for shrinking wheat harvests as the worst drought in decades follows a devastating war, pushing more than 16 million people toward food insecurity. 'The country has not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years,' said Haya Abu Assaf, assistant to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative in Syria. Syria's water levels have seen 'a very significant drop compared to previous years, which is very worrying', Abu Assaf told AFP, as a relatively short winter rainy season and decreased rainfall take their toll. 'A gap of between 2.5 to 2.7 million tonnes in the wheat crop is expected, meaning that the wheat quantity will not be sufficient to meet local needs,' Abu Assaf said, putting 'around 16.3 million people at risk of food insecurity in Syria this year'. Before the civil war erupted in 2011, Syria was self-sufficient in wheat, producing an average of 4.1 million tonnes annually. Nearly 14 years of conflict have since crippled production and devastated the economy. The FAO estimates that harsh weather has impacted nearly 2.5 million hectares of wheat-growing land. 'Around 75 per cent of the cultivated areas' have been affected, as well as 'natural pastures for livestock production', said Abu Assaf. Imports, competition To bridge the wheat gap, imports would be essential in a country where around 90 per cent of the population lives in poverty. Before his ouster in an Islamist-led offensive in December, Syria's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad used to rely on ally Russia for wheat. In April, new authorities reported the first wheat shipment since his removal arrived in Latakia port, with more Russian shipments following. Iraq also donated more than 220,000 tonnes of wheat to Syria. During the war, Damascus competed with the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration in the northeast to buy wheat from farmers across fertile lands. Last year, Assad's government priced wheat at US$350 (RM1,480) per tonne, and the Kurds at US$310. After Assad's ouster, Damascus and the Kurds agreed in March to integrate Kurdish-led institutions into the new Syrian state, with negotiations ongoing on implementation. Damascus set wheat prices this month at between US$290 and US$320 per tonne, depending on the quality, plus a US$130 bonus. The Kurdish-led administration offered US$420 per tonne including a US$70 bonus. 'Poverty and hunger' Damascus' agriculture ministry expects a harvest of 300,000 to 350,000 tonnes in government-controlled areas this year. Hassan Othman, director of the Syrian Grain Establishment, acknowledged Syria was not self-sufficient, in comments on state television. But he said authorities were working 'to ensure food security by importing wheat from abroad and milling it in our mills'. In northeast Syria's Amuda, farmer Jamshid Hassu, 65, inspected the tiny wheat grains from his fields, which cover around 200 hectares (around 500 acres). Despite heavy irrigation efforts to offset scarce rainfall, he said, production has halved. The FAO's Abu Assaf said indicators showed that 'about 95 per cent of rain-fed wheat has been damaged and affected', while irrigated wheat yields were down 30 to 40 per cent. Hassu, who has been farming for four decades, said he had to pump water from depths of more than 160 metres (525 feet) to sustain his crops as groundwater levels plunge. Agriculture remains a vital income source in rural Syria, but without urgent support, farmers face ruin. 'Without support, we will not be able to continue,' Hassu warned. 'People will suffer from poverty and hunger.' — AFP
Malay Mail
12 hours ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Wheat turns battleground as Syria's worst drought in 60 years threatens 16 million
DAMASCUS, June 28 — Rival Syrian and Kurdish producers are scrambling for shrinking wheat harvests as the worst drought in decades follows a devastating war, pushing more than 16 million people toward food insecurity. 'The country has not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years,' said Haya Abu Assaf, assistant to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative in Syria. Syria's water levels have seen 'a very significant drop compared to previous years, which is very worrying', Abu Assaf told AFP, as a relatively short winter rainy season and decreased rainfall take their toll. 'A gap of between 2.5 to 2.7 million tonnes in the wheat crop is expected, meaning that the wheat quantity will not be sufficient to meet local needs,' Abu Assaf said, putting 'around 16.3 million people at risk of food insecurity in Syria this year'. Before the civil war erupted in 2011, Syria was self-sufficient in wheat, producing an average of 4.1 million tonnes annually. Nearly 14 years of conflict have since crippled production and devastated the economy. The FAO estimates that harsh weather has impacted nearly 2.5 million hectares of wheat-growing land. 'Around 75 per cent of the cultivated areas' have been affected, as well as 'natural pastures for livestock production', said Abu Assaf. Imports, competition To bridge the wheat gap, imports would be essential in a country where around 90 per cent of the population lives in poverty. Before his ouster in an Islamist-led offensive in December, Syria's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad used to rely on ally Russia for wheat. In April, new authorities reported the first wheat shipment since his removal arrived in Latakia port, with more Russian shipments following. Iraq also donated more than 220,000 tonnes of wheat to Syria. During the war, Damascus competed with the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration in the northeast to buy wheat from farmers across fertile lands. Last year, Assad's government priced wheat at US$350 (RM1,480) per tonne, and the Kurds at US$310. After Assad's ouster, Damascus and the Kurds agreed in March to integrate Kurdish-led institutions into the new Syrian state, with negotiations ongoing on implementation. Damascus set wheat prices this month at between US$290 and US$320 per tonne, depending on the quality, plus a US$130 bonus. The Kurdish-led administration offered US$420 per tonne including a US$70 bonus. 'Poverty and hunger' Damascus' agriculture ministry expects a harvest of 300,000 to 350,000 tonnes in government-controlled areas this year. Hassan Othman, director of the Syrian Grain Establishment, acknowledged Syria was not self-sufficient, in comments on state television. But he said authorities were working 'to ensure food security by importing wheat from abroad and milling it in our mills'. In northeast Syria's Amuda, farmer Jamshid Hassu, 65, inspected the tiny wheat grains from his fields, which cover around 200 hectares (around 500 acres). Despite heavy irrigation efforts to offset scarce rainfall, he said, production has halved. The FAO's Abu Assaf said indicators showed that 'about 95 per cent of rain-fed wheat has been damaged and affected', while irrigated wheat yields were down 30 to 40 per cent. Hassu, who has been farming for four decades, said he had to pump water from depths of more than 160 metres (525 feet) to sustain his crops as groundwater levels plunge. Agriculture remains a vital income source in rural Syria, but without urgent support, farmers face ruin. 'Without support, we will not be able to continue,' Hassu warned. 'People will suffer from poverty and hunger.' — AFP
Zawya
a day ago
- Business
- Zawya
Chicago soybeans set for second weekly loss on favourable weather, supplies
BEIJING - Chicago soybean futures were poised for a second consecutive weekly loss on Friday, pressured by favourable weather in the U.S. Midwest and abundant global supplies. The most-active soybean contract rose 0.02% to $10.17 per bushel as of 0226 GMT, but remained near an 11-week low. Warm weather and rains have created ideal growing conditions for soybeans and corn in the U.S. Midwest. Weather forecaster Vaisala projects widespread rainfall this week, which will likely improve soil moisture further. In Argentina, soybean sales doubled in the first 18 days of June to 4.71 million tons from a year earlier as farmers raced to close deals before a planned hike in export taxes on July 1, official data analysed by Reuters and industry sources showed. Additionally, selling pressure ahead of the first notice date for July soybean, wheat and corn contracts weighed on the market. Wheat and corn were on track for weekly losses amid strong crop production outlooks and ideal growing conditions. Wheat rose 0.47% to $5.39 a bushel, while corn gained 0.5% to $4.06 a bushel, but hovered near an eight-month low. On Thursday, the International Grains Council (IGC) raised its 2025-26 world wheat crop outlook by 2 million tons to 808 million on Thursday. Meanwhile, last week's dry weather in most of Argentina boosted 2025-26 wheat planting, especially in key farm areas that had been struggling with excess moisture after heavy rains in May, the Buenos Aires grains exchange said. Traders are awaiting the USDA's crop progress and quarterly stock reports on June 30. Commodity funds were net sellers of Chicago Board of Trade wheat and soymeal futures contracts on Thursday, traders said. Traders were net buyers of soyoil contracts and were net even on corn and soybean futures.
Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Ukraine calls for EU sanctions on Bangladeshi entities for import of 'stolen grain'
NEW DELHI/DHAKA, June 27 (Reuters) - Ukraine plans to ask the European Union to sanction Bangladeshi entities it says are importing wheat taken from Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, after its warnings to Dhaka failed to stop the trade, a top Ukrainian diplomat in South Asia said. Russian forces have occupied large parts of Ukraine's southern agricultural regions since 2014 and Kyiv has accused Russia of stealing its grain even before the 2022 invasion. Russian officials say there is no theft of grain involved as the territories previously considered part of Ukraine are now part of Russia and will remain so forever. According to documents provided to Reuters by people familiar with the matter, the Ukraine Embassy in New Delhi sent several letters to Bangladesh's foreign affairs ministry this year, asking them to reject more than 150,000 tonnes of grain allegedly stolen and shipped from Russian port of Kavkaz. Asked about the confidential diplomatic communication, Ukraine's ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk, said Dhaka had not responded to the communication and Kyiv will now escalate the matter as its intelligence showed entities in Russia mix grain procured from occupied Ukrainian territories with Russian wheat before shipping. "It's a crime," Polishchuk said in an interview at Ukraine's embassy in New Delhi. "We will share our investigation with our European Union colleagues, and we will kindly ask them to take the appropriate measures." Ukraine's diplomatic tussle with Bangladeshi authorities has not been previously reported. The Bangladesh and Russian foreign ministries did not respond to requests for comment. A Bangladeshi food ministry official said Dhaka bars imports from Russia if the origin of the grain is from occupied Ukrainian territory, adding that the country imports no stolen wheat. Amid the war with Russia, the agricultural sector remains one of the main sources of export earnings for Ukraine, supplying grain, vegetable oil and oilseeds to foreign markets. In April, Ukraine detained a foreign vessel in its territorial waters, alleging it was involved in the illegal trade of stolen grain, and last year seized a foreign cargo ship and detained its captain on similar suspicions. The EU has so far sanctioned 342 ships that are part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet, which the bloc says enable Moscow to circumvent Western restrictions to move oil, arms and grain. Russia says Western sanctions are illegal. A Ukraine official told Reuters Ukrainian law prohibits any voluntary trade between Ukrainian producers, including grain farmers in the occupied territories, and Russian entities. The Ukraine Embassy has sent four letters to Bangladesh's government, reviewed by Reuters, in which it shared vessel names and their registration numbers involved in the alleged trade of moving the grain from the Crimean ports of Sevastopol and Kerch, occupied by Russia since 2014, and Berdiansk, which is under Moscow's control since 2022, to Kavkaz in Russia. The letters stated the departure and tentative arrival dates of the ships that left from Kavkaz for Bangladesh between November 2024 and June 2025. The June 11 letter said Bangladesh can face "serious consequences" of sanctions for taking deliveries of "stolen grain", and that such purchases fuel "humanitarian suffering." The sanctions "may extend beyond importing companies and could also target government officials and the leadership of ministries and agencies who knowingly facilitate or tolerate such violations," the letter added. In a statement to Reuters, Anitta Hipper, EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said the vessels in question were not currently subject to any restrictive measures. The sanctions regime was designed to act against activities that undermine the food security of Ukraine including transportation of "stolen Ukrainian grain" and "any proven involvement of vessels in shipping stolen Ukrainian grain could provide the basis for future restrictive measures," she added. The Russia-controlled territories, excluding Crimea, accounted for about 3% of the total Russian grain harvest in 2024, according to Reuters' estimates based on official Russian data. Russian grain transporter Rusagrotrans says Bangladesh was the fourth largest buyer of Russian wheat in May. Ambassador Polishchuk told Reuters their intelligence shows Russia mixes its grain with that from occupied Ukrainian territories to avoid detection. A Russian trader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that when the grain is loaded for export at a Russian port, it is very difficult to track its origin. "These are not diamonds or gold. The composition of impurities does not allow for identification," the person said.
Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syria's Wheat War: Drought Fuels Food Crisis for 16 Million
Rival Syrian and Kurdish producers are scrambling for shrinking wheat harvests as the worst drought in decades follows a devastating war, pushing more than 16 million people toward food insecurity. "The country has not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years," said Haya Abu Assaf, assistant to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) representative in Syria. Syria's water levels have seen "a very significant drop compared to previous years, which is very worrying", Abu Assaf told AFP, as a relatively short winter rainy season and decreased rainfall take their toll. "A gap of between 2.5 to 2.7 million tons in the wheat crop is expected, meaning that the wheat quantity will not be sufficient to meet local needs," Abu Assaf said, putting "around 16.3 million people at risk of food insecurity in Syria this year". Before the civil war erupted in 2011, Syria was self-sufficient in wheat, producing an average of 4.1 million tons annually. Nearly 14 years of conflict have since crippled production and devastated the economy. The FAO estimates that harsh weather has impacted nearly 2.5 million hectares of wheat-growing land. "Around 75 percent of the cultivated areas" have been affected, as well as "natural pastures for livestock production", said Abu Assaf. Imports, competition To bridge the wheat gap, imports would be essential in a country where around 90 percent of the population lives in poverty. Before his ouster in an Islamist-led offensive in December, Syria's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad used to rely on ally Russia for wheat. In April, new authorities reported the first wheat shipment since his removal arrived in Latakia port, with more Russian shipments following. Iraq also donated more than 220,000 tons of wheat to Syria. During the war, Damascus competed with the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration in the northeast to buy wheat from farmers across fertile lands. Last year, Assad's government priced wheat at $350 per ton, and the Kurds at $310. After Assad's ouster, Damascus and the Kurds agreed in March to integrate Kurdish-led institutions into the new Syrian state, with negotiations ongoing on implementation. Damascus set wheat prices this month at between $290 and $320 per ton, depending on the quality, plus a $130 bonus. The Kurdish-led administration offered $420 per ton including a $70 bonus. 'Poverty and hunger' Damascus' agriculture ministry expects a harvest of 300,000 to 350,000 tons in government-controlled areas this year. Hassan Othman, director of the Syrian Grain Establishment, acknowledged Syria was not self-sufficient, in comments on state television. But he said authorities were working "to ensure food security by importing wheat from abroad and milling it in our mills". In northeast Syria's Amuda, farmer Jamshid Hassu, 65, inspected the tiny wheat grains from his fields, which cover around 200 hectares (around 500 acres). Despite heavy irrigation efforts to offset scarce rainfall, he said, production has halved. The FAO's Abu Assaf said indicators showed that "about 95 percent of rain-fed wheat has been damaged and affected", while irrigated wheat yields were down 30 to 40 percent. Hassu, who has been farming for four decades, said he had to pump water from depths of more than 160 meters (525 feet) to sustain his crops as groundwater levels plunge. Agriculture remains a vital income source in rural Syria, but without urgent support, farmers face ruin. "Without support, we will not be able to continue," Hassu warned. "People will suffer from poverty and hunger."
