Jordan Valley farmers have begun preparing land, greenhouses, and planting nurseries for the coming agricultural season, hoping for returns that at least cover production costs. Their optimism is tempered by a familiar and deepening set of structural and environmental pressures.
اضافة اعلان
Chief among the challenges this year is water scarcity. Falling rainfall and rising temperatures have reduced available irrigation water, pushing many farmers to adopt modern irrigation systems or simply reduce the area they plant. At the same time, the cost of inputs — seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, plastic sheeting, labor, and energy — has risen steadily, threatening the financial viability of small and mid-scale operations.
Price volatility in local markets, and the absence of reliable export channels, compound the problem. Farmers say marketing is ultimately the factor that determines whether a season succeeds or fails: they can absorb high production costs if end prices are fair.
Farmer Nawash Al-Yazjin said: "With the start of each season, we find ourselves facing a very difficult equation. We prepare the land and greenhouses knowing that the prices of production inputs have skyrocketed — fertilizer, iron, plastic sheeting, even labor. This forces us to borrow money and struggle with debt, hoping that the harvest season will compensate for our losses. But the risk is higher than ever."
Al-Yazjin said farmers could not walk away from the land, describing agriculture as both a generational vocation and their only source of income. "All we hope for is genuine protection for local produce, facilitated export procedures to neighboring markets, and the integration of modern technology at affordable prices so that we can persevere and continue," he said.
Farmer Saad Al-Abadi said water was the central problem for him. "The irrigation cycle is no longer sufficient to moisten the soil in light of the high temperatures and scorching sun. We have to reduce the cultivated areas by almost half to ensure that water reaches the remaining crop. Losing a small area is easier for us than losing the entire farm."
Al-Abadi also described what he called the marketing and pricing trap. "We produce the best types of tomatoes, cucumbers, and vegetables, but we always fall into it, especially during peak production. Prices in the central market drop to levels that don't even cover the cost of the crate and transportation, while the end consumer in the city buys the produce at high prices. The missing link between us and the consumer is what breaks the farmer's back," he said.
Adnan Khaddam, head of the Jordan Valley Farmers Union, said the sector was moving through a serious livelihood and operational crisis driven by a lack of liquidity, a shortage of labor, and persistent marketing difficulties. He described the land-preparation stage as one of the hardest moments in the agricultural calendar.
"We welcome the new agricultural season with hearts full of hope, but our hands are shackled by fears," Khaddam said. "The farmer in the Jordan Valley is now facing a real battle to hold onto his land and continue his production. The challenges are no longer limited to weather fluctuations; they now include an unprecedented rise in the prices of basic supplies such as seeds, fertilizers, and plastic covers, which has increased production costs to levels that make it difficult to compete or achieve a fair profit margin."
Khaddam said irrigation water allocations were falling at an alarming rate due to climate change and declining rainfall, forcing many farmers to reduce cultivated areas or leave land fallow rather than risk losing crops before harvest.
He called for concrete action from relevant authorities, including direct support for the agricultural sector, financial facilities and low-interest loans, a reorganized export system, and strengthened agricultural extension services. "Protecting farmers in the Jordan Valley is not protecting a specific group," Khaddam said. "It is protecting Jordan's food security and economic stability."
Yassin Al-Adwan, director of agriculture for the Jordan Valley, acknowledged the scale of the challenges facing farmers, citing water scarcity, erratic weather driven by climate change, rising production costs, and volatile input prices. He said his directorate was working alongside farmers to provide technical and advisory support and to monitor their needs ahead of the season.
"Faced with this complex reality, we are working to guide farmers towards adopting modern agricultural practices and shifting to crops that consume less water and have high economic value, along with improving the efficiency of irrigation networks and using technology to reduce losses," Al-Adwan said.
On marketing, Al-Adwan said the directorate was pursuing a strategy built around organizing the agricultural cycle, urging compliance with approved planting guidelines, expanding export-oriented crops, and meeting quality standards to improve the competitiveness of Jordanian produce in foreign markets.
Faisal Al-Faqir, assistant secretary-general of the Jordan Valley Authority for the Northern and Central Jordan Valley, said the water situation was delicate and critical, with climate change and reduced rainfall affecting the strategic reserves of dams and water sources. He said the Authority was working continuously to improve water resource management and to complete maintenance on canals and control stations.
"We are currently working to manage available water with the utmost fairness and efficiency, and to reduce water loss by maintaining irrigation networks and protecting the Authority's facilities and the King Abdullah Canal from encroachments," Al-Faqir said. Water harvesting projects and rehabilitation of water sources were also continuing, he added, with the primary goal of ensuring a continuous supply and a rapid response to farmers' needs.
Al-Faqir urged farmers to use irrigation water efficiently, adopt water-saving technologies, and expand their use of non-traditional water sources. Protecting water security, he said, was a shared responsibility requiring close coordination between government institutions and the agricultural sector.
This article was originally written in Arabic by Habes Al-Adwan for Al Ghad. It was translated into English with AI assistance and edited by Jordan News.
