Vegetable prices spike due to inclement weather conditions

AMMAN — The decline in agricultural production due to prevailing weather conditions has triggered a sharp rise in vegetable prices, according to stakeholders.

Speaking with The Jordan Times, President of the Jordan Valley Farmers Union Adnan Khaddam, said that vegetable prices are now at least 50 per cent higher.

“Currently there is high demand for vegetables in particular…because of production declines in neighbouring countries,” he told The Jordan Times.

Now, people, will demand local products, which can assist growers and farm owners in offsetting their losses, providing them a better chance at profit, Khaddam added.

“The rise in vegetable prices is usually expected during cold weather; this is not a new thing,” Mohammed Ibrahim, a farmer based in the Jordan Valley, told The Jordan Times over the phone.

He also pointed out that currently, the demand for cool-season vegetables is strong, but supply is relatively low.

“The prices of cucumbers, aubergines, cabbage, leafy greens and other vegetable varieties have increased,” according to Ibrahim, who expressed his hope that this period would provide a “big push” for farmers who have suffered considerable financial difficulties.

Previously, the production season, which is usually starts in December, was impacted by delays for many crops, leading to low demand and drastically low prices.