An Early Cold Snap
A frost wave swept parts of northwestern Syria over two days in early November 2026, striking fields of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and corn. Growers said the cold arrived unusually early this season, with damaging frosts typically beginning only after 1 November.
Three-Quarters of the Harvest Lost
In the hardest-hit potato fields around the Idlib countryside, farmers estimated losses of about 75 percent, while others put the damage at roughly half the crop. One grower working about 30 dunums (roughly three hectares) said frost ruined at least three-quarters of his potatoes, tomatoes and watermelon, a loss he valued at no less than $10,000.
Debts Without a Crop
Potato cultivation costs roughly $500 per dunum this season before financing charges, one farmer said, and many growers rely on loans and deferred payments to suppliers to cover those costs. With much of the harvest gone, those debts now stand without the income meant to repay them, and some farmers reported earlier-season losses of $11,000 or more.
Ministry Committees Deploy
The Ministry of Agriculture said field committees began inspecting affected areas as the frost struck. Preliminary estimates pointed to extensive potato damage concentrated in the Ghab plain of Hama and in Idlib, with smaller areas near Qusayr in rural Homs. Late-planted fields were hardest hit, and final damage reports were still being prepared.
Calls for Support
Affected farmers appealed to government bodies for compensation, subsidized inputs and financing to absorb the shock. Several warned they may reduce planted areas next season, or stop farming altogether, if the losses are not offset — a retreat that could tighten winter vegetable supply in the weeks ahead.