Farmers planning sit-in over losses incurred during frost spell

AMMAN — Jordan Valley farmers are planning to stage a sit-in next week in front of the Prime Ministry to protest "the government's negligence" over the losses they incurred during a recent frost spell, the union said Tuesday.

Jordan Valley Farmers Union President Adnan Khaddam said that during the recent frost spell hundreds of farmers incurred loses "worth tens of millions" of dinars.

"We call on the government to compensate the farmers for the losses they incurred during the frost spell that completely damaged thousands of dunums of zucchini, tomato, potato and eggplant, among other crops," Khaddam told The Jordan Times.

During the week-long frost spell that hit the majority of the Kingdom, temperatures in the usually warm Jordan Valley dipped to a low of -5ºC.

"Over 2.8 million people in the country directly or indirectly benefit from the agriculture sector, yet the government continues to turn a blind eye to our plight," Khaddam charged.

He underscored the importance of supporting farmers, who lost over the past four years JD2 billion due to the closure of the Syrian market.

Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin said the government is still examining the impact of the frost spell on crops in the Jordan Valley, but did not say if the government would compensate farmers or not.

"We are relying on the Agricultural Risks Fund, which the government will support annually with JD3 million. However, the fund's system and budgeting are still a work in progress," Haddadin told The Jordan Times. 

In the meantime, the ministry called on farmers to continue taking precautionary measures to protect their crops from further damage due to frost as around-zero temperatures are still expected this week.

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

During frost spells, Jordan Valley farmers should warm up greenhouses during the day and close them at night to preserve the heat. When temperatures dip to around zero, they should also burn dry grass near the crops and irrigate them slightly.