Syrian pistachio growers hoping to reestablish their prized harvest upon returning to their orchards after years of conflict have had their expectations shattered by burnt trees and the effects of climate change.
The pistachio tree is known in Syria as ‘a golden tree in a poor land,’ reflecting the value of a fruit that has long been exported throughout the Middle East and Europe. These maroon-colored bunches of nuts are harvested in the summer.
However, according to farmer Nayef Ibrahim, only a fourth of the crop planted by farmers near the village of Maan in the region’s northwest is currently being harvested.
When the region turned into a frontline in the fighting that began in 2011, Ibrahim and his family evacuated their farms. In 2019, after rebels were expelled by government forces, they returned.
They discovered pistachio trees that had been cut down and destroyed during the fighting, and Ibrahim said it could take up to 12 years for the new ones they have planted to bear fruit.
He told Reuters that a successful harvest on his farm will probably take longer because of ‘the lack of rainfall, climate change overall, and the shortage of fundamental materials that a farmer requires.’
The International Rescue Committee relief organisation claims that in 2021, Syria saw its worst drought in more than 70 years, severely affecting agriculture all around the country.
Ibrahim believed that the amount of rain that fell on his fields was half what it had been in previous years, but due to the escalating cost of fuel to pump in water, he was unable to afford an alternative.
He said that nutrient-rich soil, which could have increased his output, was either unavailable or prohibitively expensive.
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