Food and Additional Suppliers 

1. Wheat flour: Assuming an annual consumption of 180kg per person, Syria's projected demand for 2024 is 4.2 million metric tons. In 2023, Syria's estimated wheat production was 2.3 million metric tons. Any reliance on local production may lead to inflationary pressures due to supply tightness. 

2. Sugar and Rice: Syria does not produce rice or sugar in significant amounts; these commodities are mainly imported and packaged in Syria under different brands. 

3. Vegetable oil: Since 2012, the government of Syria stopped importing sunflower seeds, and local companies only refined imported raw oil. In 2023, the government allowed companies to re-import sunflower seeds to produce oil locally. The projected demand for vegetable oil in 2024 is about 1.1 million litters, considering an annual need of 44 litters per person. 

4. Salt: With an assumed annual consumption of 12kg per person, Syria's demand for salt in 2024 is projected to be 280 metric tons. Local production exceeds 100,000 metric tons annually, which is sufficient to meet the demand from the local market. 

5. Lentils: Due to global warming, changes in climate, and decreasing planted areas because of high costs, Syria permitted the import of lentils in October 2022 to cover market needs. The projected demand for lentils in 2024 is 840 metric tons, assuming a need of 36kg per person annually.  

In addition: Local suppliers face limitations in sourcing the commodity from abroad due to import sanctions, complicating import processes and increasing associated costs. Importers are also required to deposit the value of food items on the official exchange platform, often experiencing delays in receiving their deposits back. Additionally, agricultural activities in Syria face challenges such as high fuel prices, lack of electricity, high planting and cultivation costs, water scarcity, and dependence on rain as the main irrigation source in some areas. 

Food commodities are available from local suppliers like Fortified date bars, fortified sunflower oil, bulgur wheat, iodine salt, canned food, canned chicken, olive oil, bulgur wheat and ready to eat rations. The local suppliers do have the ability to scale up however we recommend to do a quality check before sourcing.