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Jordan Valley farmers lament ‘endless challenges’

By Maria Weldali - Sep 27,2021 - Last updated at Sep 27,2021

AMMAN — “Endless challenges” are plaguing the farming sector in the Jordan Valley, according to farmers.
“Farming is integral to the Kingdom’s economic growth, yet the sector’s operators are still facing endless challenges which started when the Syrian borders were closed in 2012,” Nawash Al Yazjeen, a farmer from the Jordan Valley, told The Jordan Times on Sunday. 
 
“Currently there is no agricultural production. We are preparing for the next planting season which takes place from mid-October until the beginning of November,” said Yazjeen. During this period, cucumbers, tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes and other vegetables are usually planted, he added. 
 
The closure of the Syrian borders, through which Jordanian produce was previously exported to Russia and Europe, has been a key issue facing the Kingdom's agricultural workers.
 
Mohammed Ibrahim, a farmer based in the Jordan Valley, told The Jordan Times that this closure, alongside climate change and drought, has contributed to a lack of income for farmers, who sometimes see "near-zero" profit from their labour-intensive work.
 
The Jordan Times contacted head of the Jordan Valley Farmers Union Adnan Khadam for comment, but he was not available. 
 
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