Farmers abandon land, demand gov’t intervention as agricultural sector nears collapse

Rising production costs and decreasing prices push farmers to the brink

Farmers
(File photo: Ameer Khalifeh/Jordan News)
AMMAN — The Jordan Valley Farmers Union, led by Adnan Khadam, has urgently appealed to the government to intervene and rescue the country's agricultural sector. اضافة اعلان

In an interview with Jo24, Khadam expressed the dire situation, stating that the agricultural sector is on the verge of collapse. Farmers are finding it impossible to sustain their operations and are now faced with mounting losses.

The sector is grappling with soaring production costs, skyrocketing pesticide, and fertilizer prices, as well as a concerning decrease in agricultural product prices, which have fallen below production costs.

In response to the overwhelming challenges, the farming community has collectively made the difficult decision to halt production across the Jordan Valley areas.

This drastic measure involves leaving vast agricultural lands uncultivated, further compounding the existing issues in the sector.

Suicide for the Industry
Khadam emphasized that persisting under the current circumstances would be nothing short of economic suicide.

The market conditions are deteriorating rapidly, particularly with the decline in citizens' purchasing power. Furthermore, there is an alarming surplus of agricultural production, coupled with a sharp decline in sales.

Distressingly, many farmers in the Jordan Valley region have been forced to abandon their lands, resulting in severe consequences, including the possibility of judicial execution as they lose everything they once had.