On 31 May 2020, the Government raised the 2020 purchasing price of wheat from SYP 225 to SYP 400 per kg. The measure aims to support farmers’ incomes and increase stocks of domestically procured wheat held by the General Establishment for Cereal Processing and Trade (Hoboob) amid a sharp depreciation of the country’s currency and competition from non-government buyers. The amount announced by the Government, to be allocated for wheat purchases before the price increase in the current season, was SYP 450 billion (about 11 percent of the national budget). Harvesting of the 2020 wheat crop started in late May and production is forecast at 2.6 million tonnes, up from 2.2 million tonnes in 2019 but still well below the pre‑crisis level (2002‑2011) of 4.1 million tonnes(GIEWS Country Brief).