Sit-In at the Ministry
Poultry farmers from several Syrian governorates gathered outside the Ministry of Agriculture in Damascus on 24 May 2026, calling on the government to halt imports of feathered broilers, breeding chicks, and hatching eggs. The protesters said the imports are pushing local farms out of operation and saddling producers with mounting losses.
Mounting Losses on Farms
Farmers attending the action argued that the domestic market can cover national demand on its own, and could even move toward exports if imports were curbed and sector support were extended. They warned that accumulated losses and rising production costs have already forced a number of farms to close.
Hassan al-Khedr, a poultry farmer from Quneitra, said continuous losses were running into hundreds of US dollars (USD) per ton of output.
Voices From Four Governorates
Ismail Hajj Ahmed of Idlib said the damage extends beyond economics, warning that imported birds risk introducing diseases to local farms, and citing higher costs for medication, labor, and transport.
Basil al-Hussein of Daraa called for sector-wide support measures to sustain current production and restart farms that have gone out of service. Mahmoud Hamsho of Hama added that importing live and frozen chicken threatens domestic production, and pressed for tighter controls along the marketing chain to keep retail prices in check.
Case for Local Capacity
Abdulaziz Shamel, deputy head of the Hama Poultry Committee, said local farms produce first-grade chicken based on plant feed, while imported supply often relies on animal feed. He urged the authorities to back the sector with export facilitation and targeted problem-solving as part of broader food-security planning.
Demands on the Table
The protesters set out a short list of asks: a freeze on imports of broilers, chicks, and hatching eggs; price-chain oversight to prevent retail spikes; and a support package to keep marginal farms running and revive idled capacity.