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Political upheaval has disrupted efforts to revive Syria's olive oil exports following the ousting of former president Bashar al-Assad, according to the Olive Oil Times.
After Assad fled to Russia on 8 December when his government collapsed and a rebel coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham seized the capital Damascus, Syria's new government announced it would adopt free-market reforms and work to boost exports, according to a report published on 14 December.
The Financial Times quoted acting finance minister Riad Abdul Raouf as saying the new government would "review all current monetary and economic policies."
Among those policies is an October decision by the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade to permit the export of 10,000 tonnes of olive oil.
The Syrian government had effectively banned olive oil exports in September 2023, when export licences were restricted to government-approved companies, according to the Olive Oil Times.
At the time the report was published, it was unclear how the new government would change this arrangement or whether it would lift the ban entirely.
Nevertheless, the report said leaders of the new government have pledged to implement free-market reforms and tackle corruption within state institutions.
The decision followed an announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture that it expected an olive oil surplus, with production forecast to reach 55,000 tonnes in areas previously under Assad regime control. Syria's domestic olive oil consumption stands at around 48,000 tonnes a year.
According to the Olive Oil Times, about 40% of the country's olive groves are located in north-western Syria, areas that have been occupied by Turkey or controlled by non-state actors for nearly a decade.
The Ministry of Agriculture expects Syrian olive farmers to harvest 11% more produce in the 2024/2025 season compared with the previous year. The ministry also estimated that table olive production would reach 86,000 tonnes.
However, local media quoted some farmers in the north of the country as expecting a smaller harvest than previously forecast, citing a lack of rainfall and increased pest activity.
Source: Olive Oil Times