Frost-affected farmers to be compensated after damage assessment — ministry

AMMAN — Farmers who incurred losses in last November’s frost spell are expected to receive government compensations by mid next month, an official said on Sunday.

The Ministry of Agriculture is still tallying up the amount of compensations to farmers based on the damaged percentage of each agricultural unit, crop damage proportion and the type of the damaged plant, according to the ministry.

“The total amount of compensations will be announced in mid-March, when the ministry is expected to disburse the compensations to the farmers,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Nimer Haddadin, said.

For the first time ever, farmers will receive compensations from the Agricultural Risk Fund, which was established in 2009.

The fund now has JD4.5 million, according to the ministry.

“The frost spell that happened in November last year wasn’t anticipated. Most of the damage occurred in farms in the northern part of the Jordan Valley,” Haddadin said.

The Jordan Valley’s total agricultural area consists of 250,000 dunums, 170,000 of which is planted with vegetables, while the rest with bananas, grains and citrus fruit.

Vegetables, most of which are susceptible to damage during cold weather, were damaged during the frost spell, according to Haddadin, who added that citrus trees were also damaged during the spell.

During the five-day frost spell, temperatures dipped to -1ºC at the usually warm Jordan Valley, with vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, beans and potato were hit by the freezing weather.

Frost warnings are issued when clear skies are coupled with temperatures near or below zero and southeasterly winds, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department.

Minister of Agriculture Khaled Hneifat told the press in a recent meeting that the ministry plans to establish an agricultural insurance company to compensate farmers who incur losses during snow, floods and heatwaves, noting that farmers wishing to benefit from the insurance company will be required to pay a percentage annually.