Farmers reel under overproduction, low demand

AMMAN — Local farmers are voicing their concerns after a recent and unexpectedly drop in produce prices.

According to Nawash Al Yazjeen, a farmer from the Jordan Valley, the common practice of selling produce via a middleman is the primary factor behind low income.

Due to recent low demand and a lack of foreign market access, most produce is sold for less than the cost of production.

Each agricultural season, farmers incur new losses, he noted, pointing that “there is no end to this situation and what we are seeing is that things are only getting worse”.

 “Farmers are in mounting debt, that is today’s reality of the local agriculture sector in Jordan,” Jordan Valley Farmers Union President Adnan Khaddam told The Jordan Times. 

Although produce prices increase in winter, Khaddam attributed the low demand and subsequent fall in prices to a “shocking” increase in production. 

“A box of cucumbers is sold for JD1.4- JD2 at wholesale markets,” he said.

Today, the average production cost for 1KG of produce is around JD0.5, while in the past, the cost was between JD0.25-JD0.35, he said.

This December, produce prices have decreased between 60 and 70 per cent, Khaddam said, noting that the situation was “much better” last year.

“Current prices have surpassed expectations, and for sure we are calling for a price floor,” he said. “We need a governmental decision and not a ministerial resolution”.