Syria's cotton collapse came from shrinking area more than falling yields
Irrigated cotton area (hectares), production (tonnes), and yield (kg per hectare), 2007–2026. The shaded band marks 2007–2012.
Three bar charts of Syrian irrigated cotton from 2007 to 2026, showing area, production and yield. From 2007 to 2012, planted area held between about 164,000 and 193,000 hectares and production between about 590,000 and 710,000 tonnes. Both collapsed from 2013: area has stayed below about 73,000 hectares since then and fell to about 26,000 hectares in 2025 and 2026, while production stayed below 165,000 tonnes and is estimated at about 79,000 tonnes in 2026. Yields fell less, from roughly 3,500–4,500 kg per hectare before 2013 to between about 1,600 and 3,300 kg per hectare since. There is no data for 2024.
