DAMASCUS: The Syrian Arab Republic expects its 2026 citrus harvest to reach 840,000 tonnes with an estimated market value of $588 million, the country’s agriculture ministry has announced.
Hatem Majar, director of the ministry’s Citrus Office, said production was projected to rise 18 percent above the average recorded over the past decade, supporting about 50,000 farming families and workers across the agricultural supply chain.
He attributed the increased production to favorable weather and greater rainfall during the previous season, which replenished reservoirs and secured sufficient irrigation supplies through the summer.
The ministry expects domestic production to meet market demand from September 2026 through April 2027, with a surplus available for export.
Production is concentrated in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous, which are expected to produce 639,000 and 201,000 tonnes, respectively. Other provinces account for fewer than 1 percent of national output.
Oranges make up the largest share of the harvest at 517,000 tonnes, followed by mandarins at 161,000, lemons at 126,000, and grapefruit and pomelos at 36,000 tonnes.
Despite higher production, Majar said farmers faced limited export opportunities, insufficient sorting and packaging capacity, and rising fuel and transportation costs.
He said upgrading packaging facilities would help increase exports and ease pressure on domestic markets.
