The Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture’s plan to reduce or ban exports of vegetables was halted on Saturday, after prices in the local market dropped, according to a government official.
The ministry had planned to ban exports to control the prices of agricultural produce in the local market, due to a shortage in supply, Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin said on Saturday.
“The decision was suspended because farmers from Mafraq in northeast Jordan, Zizya in south Amman and other desert areas harvested their crops and started supplying the market with vegetables,” Haddadin said.
“Tomato prices dropped noticeably on Saturday (29th July) because some 600 tonnes of the produce arrived in the central market, causing prices per kilo to go down from JD0.80-JD1 to JD0.25,” Haddadin said, noting that local demand for tomatoes is 500 tonnes per day.
In the first quarter of 2013, exports of fruits and vegetables reached around JD145 million, according to the ministry’s figures, which also indicated that the Kingdom exported 270,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables to over 40 Arab and foreign countries during the January-March period.
Tomatoes topped the list of overall exports, representing around 60 per cent, followed by cucumbers and eggplants.
