Farmers suspend protest upon promise of talks to meet demands

AMMAN — Farmers and their multiple associations suspended a protest in front of the Prime Ministry on Sunday afternoon until next week, after a meeting with Minister of State for Legal Affairs Mubarak Abu Yamin, who promised to hold talks with the relevant ministers over farmers’ demands, news reports said.

Deputy President of the Agricultural Engineers Association Nuhad Olaimi told The Jordan Times that the planned protest went ahead on Sunday morning after a meeting on Saturday between a Ministry of Agriculture committee and the sector proved “fruitless”.

The meeting, which had on its agenda demands made by farmers regarding transport, labour and energy, “left farmers with the feeling that a protest is crucial, because the government is not taking their demands seriously”, Olaimi added.

The shortage of refrigerator trucks used to transport produce and the law that prohibits such trucks exporting Jordanian products from bringing back imports to the Kingdom on their return trip are among the top issues farmers are demanding solutions for, according to multiple stakeholders.

“There is a severe shortage in trucks, which makes delivery costs skyrocket. When one finally manages to afford one for exporting produce, the truck is not allowed to carry a load back, which means we have to pay for yet another truck if we want to import,” said Suhaib Shool, a farmer in Ghor, in a phone interview with The Jordan Times.

“There is no logic in that,” he added. “Why can’t I load off and load on the same truck? What is the problem with that?”

President of the Jordan Exporters and Producers Association for Fruit and Vegetables Saadi Abu Hammad said in previous remarks to The Jordan Times that the shortage in trucks is attributed to the opening of the Jaber/Nassib border crossing between the Kingdom and Syria, which, according to Abu Hammad, has intensified competition over the already in-shortage refrigerator trucks.

“Syrian farmers and producers pay a lot more for a truck because they are paid $1,000 by their government for every tonne they export, in addition to many other incentives offered by their government. Transporters will obviously prioritise whoever pays more,” he added.

Trucks, however, are not the sector’s only problem. The drilling of illegal wells and the accumulated water bills that farmers are unable to pay are also obstacles facing the sector.

Spokesperson for the Jordanian Farmers Union Mahmoud Oran said that water costs are the “main reason behind the sector’s struggle — a struggle which is made worse when individuals drill illegal wells and deprive farmers of their share of water”.

He called on the government to pay farmers’ bills and decrease costs for the future.

The Ministry of Agriculture was unavailable for comment on the proposed solution’s practicality.