According to statements by Northern Jordan Valley growers on Saturday, December 14, their citrus fruit production this year was down about 25 percent from the previous season. They blamed the lateness of this year’s rainy season.
The late rainfall helped to delay the ripening of fruits for longer than usual, which prompted prices to fall, especially early in the season when prices are relatively higher due to a lower supply of the fruit to the market.
Citrus is the most feasible crop for farmers in the Northern Jordan Valley, where about 6,000 ha are planted with citrus trees, an area spanning the valley strip from Adasiya to Kraymeh.
"The rainy season was late, although it was abundant. But its timing did not help the ripening of the fruits in their normal and usual time, so the fruit dropped prematurely before ripening, which led production to plummet by up to 25 percent," said Muath Bin Jabal Mayor Sari Al-Abadi.
He called for setting up a central produce market in the Northern Jordan Valley, which would help create jobs for local people and reduce cost as it supplies the other markets across the Kingdom with the crops produced in the region, particularly citrus.
