AMMAN – On Monday, the head of the
Jordan Farmers Union (JFU), Ibrahim Al-Sharif, sounded the alarm regarding the potential for
"complete loss or substantial reduction" in potato yields in Jordan
from mid-March until May.
اضافة اعلان
Jordanian farmers are confronting a grave threat to their
potato crops due to the fungal disease known as "late blight,"
Al-Mamlaka TV reported.
Late blight, a fungal disease affecting plants in the
nightshade family, including potatoes, spreads rapidly in regions with high
humidity and low temperatures. The fungus thrives under these conditions,
primarily impacting tomato and potato crops.
Already, farmers in the Jordan Valley have incurred severe
losses, amounting to millions of dinars, due to the impact of late blight on
potato crops. Over 10,000 dunams have been affected, exacerbating existing
challenges in the agricultural sector, including production costs and
labor shortages.
This new challenge compounds existing difficulties faced by
farmers. Despite being a globally known disease since 1850, late blight has
resurfaced in Jordan after a prolonged absence. Previously manageable, the
disease now threatens significant portions of potato farms in the Jordan
Valley.
Recent weather conditions in Jordan, including a prolonged
low-pressure system lasting 12 consecutive days, have created highly favorable
conditions for the spread of late blight. Nearly 80-90 percent of potato farms
in the Jordan Valley have been affected by the disease.
Despite employing expensive European and American original
pesticides, farmers have been unable to halt the spread of the disease. Labor
shortages have exacerbated the situation, reducing pesticide application and
adopting unconventional practices such as employing female agricultural workers
for spraying.
The financial toll on farmers is substantial, with a single
agricultural unit costing approximately 25,000 dinars. With production dropping
by 80 percent, consumers will likely experience potato shortages despite
Jordan's historical self-sufficiency in potatoes, leading to a sharp price
rise.
Farmers report significant damage to their potato crops,
ranging from 30-80 percent, attributable to late blight. The
Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) has initiated laboratory tests to identify the underlying
causes and implement necessary measures.
It is crucial to recognize that unlike other crops where
intensified pest control and fertilization can mitigate early-stage infections,
a single harvest of potatoes cannot be compensated for if damaged by late
blight. The agricultural sector faces an uphill battle in navigating the impact
of this devastating disease.
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