Syria says it has more than six months of strategic wheat reserves

Record ID: 906820

  • Title: Syria says it has more than six months of strategic wheat reserves
  • Date: 17th August 2017
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN TRADE MINISTER, ABDULLAH AL-GHARBI, SAYING: "We have wheat reserves of more than six months. Our plan is to have reserves of more than a year. Our mills are working normally." REPORTER ASKING GHARBI A QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN TRADE MINISTER, ABDULLAH AL-GHARBI, SAYING: "The cost of this decision is only 18 billion pounds, and it may have increased to 20 now because of the increase of geographic extent and the return of many cities and villages to the government's control." GHARBI WALKING THROUGH TRADE FAIR
  • Embargoed: 31st August 2017 19:29
  • Keywords: Syrian Trade Minister Abdullah al-Gharbi strategic wheat reserve first Damascus International Trade Fair since start of war
  • Location: DAMASCUS, SYRIA
  • City: DAMASCUS, SYRIA
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA0026UJQMO7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Syria now has more than six months' worth of strategic wheat reserves, after having just 17 days' worth a year ago, Trade Minister Abdullah al-Gharbi said on Thursday (August 17).
    Gharbi was speaking on the sidelines of the Damascus International Fair, which is taking place this week for the first time since the Syrian conflict began more than six years ago.
    While President Bashar al-Assad has made significant military gains against rebels seeking to oust him in a six-year-old civil war, he is under pressure to ensure supplies of key commodities such as wheat keep flowing in areas under his control to avoid the risk of unrest.
    Gharbi did not say how much the strategic reserves totalled in terms of tonnes, but did say the government was expanding purchases as it extended its control over more geographical areas, and aimed to increase the reserves to more than a year's worth.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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