AMMAN — Director-General of the
Jordan Farmers’ Union Mahmoud Al-Oran called on the government to establish a
mechanism to support the agricultural sector in light of the continuous rise in
diesel prices, which directly affect both food security and the sector, according
to Jo24.
اضافة اعلان
The agricultural sector is the most impacted by the
rise in diesel prices, due to the fact that it’s water pumping system and the
agricultural machinery rely on diesel, Oran noted.
Moreover, transportation costs imposed on farmers
are rising, and this will raise operational costs, he said, reiterating that a
special mechanism must be created to support farmers.
The government can adopt various measures to support
farmers, he said, including, but not limited to, granting farmers diesel coupons
to reduce operational costs, and reducing the fees charged by the
Greater Amman Municipality for each tonne of produce that enters the central market, which
amounts to JD10 per tonne of vegetables and JD15 per tonne of fruits.
Oran said that 50 percent of the agricultural area
in the Jordan Valley has been left fallow due to drought, water shortage, and
farmers’ inability to obtain the funds needed to cultivate the land.
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