The wheat fields outside Seqalbia, near the Syrian city of Hama, should be golden and heavy with grain.
Instead, Maher Haddad's 40 dunums (10 acres) are dry and empty, barely yielding a third of their usual harvest.
This year was disastrous due to drought, said the 46-year-old farmer, reflecting on the land that cost him more to sow than it gave back.
His fields delivered only 190kg (418 lbs) of wheat per dunum - far below the 400-500kg he relies on in a normal year.
With two teenage daughters to feed, he is now borrowing money from relatives to survive.
Mr. Haddad's struggle is echoed across Syria, where the worst drought in 36 years has slashed wheat harvests by 40% and is pushing a country - where nearly 90% of the population already lives in poverty - to the brink of a wider food crisis.
A report from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates Syria will face a wheat shortfall of 2.73 million tonnes this year.
Food insecurity could reach unprecedented levels by late 2025 into mid-2026, with over 14 million Syrians already struggling to eat enough.
Syria's reliance on imported wheat has increased, with families confronting soaring prices for basic foods. For example, a bag of bread has surged from 500 to 4,500 Syrian pounds, straining household budgets.
Although international agencies are attempting to assist, officials have warned that subsidies are merely a temporary solution. The long-term stability of Syria hinges on its ability to boost local food production and secure water resources for agriculture.
In the face of worsening conditions, many farmers express desperation as they await rain, hoping for relief from an agricultural crisis that threatens their very livelihoods.
Additional reporting by Lana Antaki in Damascus
