Frost-damaged crops now add to farmers’ woes — stakeholder

AMMAN — The recent extremely cold temperatures have impacted farming in the Kingdom, according to farmers in the Jordan Valley.

On Saturday, farmer Nawash Al Yazjeen told The Jordan Times that “the frost caused severe damage to many crops, the harvest is poor and demand has increased”.

Almost 80 per cent of courgette and aubergine crops in the north regions of the Jordan Valley were damaged, while 40 per cent of the central Aghwar were impacted, according to Al Yazjeen, who said that the higher temperatures in Aghwar is the reason why there was less damage. 

However, “the rainfall has brought benefits to farmers by replenishing water reservoirs”, said Al Yazjeen. He added that, “there is a strong possibility that the prices of the affected vegetables will increase by at least 50 per cent”.

Farmers still face a host of challenges, most notably the limited export and farmers’ “never ending debts”, as well as the rising production and permit costs, Khalil Abdullah, a farmer based in the Jordan Valley, told The Jordan Times. 

“A large percentage of our crops have been damaged. We need an immediate response from the government because the sector cannot shoulder any further challenges,” Abdullah added.

The government should compensate frost-affected farmers who have already suffered losses and multiple challenges before and during the pandemic, Abdullah expressed.