'Vegetable prices expected to rise due to frost damage to crops'

AMMAN — Prices of vegetables in the local market are set to increase as an ongoing frost spell damaged crops planted on thousands of dunums in the Ghor area, Jordan Valley Farmers Union President Adnan Khaddam said on Tuesday.

The frost spell, caused by a cold and dry air mass that started affecting the Kingdom on Thursday, brought temperatures to a low of -5ºC in the usually warm Jordan Valley, according to Khaddam, who said that potatoes, zucchinis and eggplants were hardest hit by the freezing temperatures.

"A total of 3,000 dunums of potato and zucchini crops in the northern Jordan Valley were completely damaged due to frost, while 40-60 per cent of both crops were affected in the central parts of the Ghor," he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

"In addition, 35 per cent of eggplant crops were damaged and 10 per cent of tomatoes grown upside down were also hit by frost," Khaddam added.

The freezing temperatures not only damaged crops, he said, but also reduced the productivity of crops.

"The fact that frost damaged large amounts of vegetables and slowed down the productivity phase of several crops means that fewer quantities will be available in the local market, which will cause prices of vegetables to increase," Khaddam underscored.

Noting that 300-350 tonnes of tomatoes enter the local market daily during this time of the year, he said the amount dropped to 100-110 tonnes per day due to the freezing temperatures.

The frost arrived early this year, according to Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin, who said the ministry's technical teams have started examining the magnitude of crop damage in the Jordan Valley.

"The teams were dispatched to the northern, central and southern regions of the Jordan Valley to assess farmers’ losses due to the frost spell,” Haddadin told The Jordan Times.

He noted that while the teams are expected to submit their reports to the ministry within a few days, farmers are advised to continue taking precautionary measures to minimise the impact of frost on their crops 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 to minimise the impact of frost.

In addition, cattle breeders should visit the ministry’s directorates and veterinary clinics to receive vaccines and instructions on how to keep newborn animals inside barns, and secure water and fodder for them, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, the JMD said on its website that frost is still expected until Thursday night.

Temperatures between Wednesday and Friday will range between a high of 15ºC and a low of 3ºC-6ºC, according to the department's website.