Agriculture sector grows concerned over Jordan’s soaring summer temperatures

AMMAN — Amid the current heatwave sweeping the Kingdom, farmers and representatives of the agricultural sector are voicing their concerns about the scorching weather’s potential impacts on local agricultural activity.

On Thursday, temperatures in Amman ranged between a high of 37°C and a low of 25°C. In Aqaba, temperatures reached 43°C during the day, dropping to a low of 30°C at night. At the Dead Sea area temperatures ranged between a high of 44°C and a low of 32°C, according to Arabia Weather, a weather forecasting company.

“Warmer temperatures in general significantly affect the agricultural sector in many ways, but usually what worries us the most are the extreme periods of high temperatures,” said Jordan Farmers Union (JFU) President Mahmoud Al Oran. The longer the duration of heat stress, according to Oran, the worse the impact becomes.

Climate change is a major obstacle for the industry, Oran added, noting that the ramifications of rising global temperatures have had increasingly frequent direct impacts on Jordan’s agriculture sector.

Nawash Al Yazjeen, a farmer from the Jordan Valley, told The Jordan Times that “every year there are certain periods during which Jordan experiences heatwaves, and this year did not depart from the rule…usually heatwaves hit during July and August”.

Farmer Bilal Sultan told The Jordan Times that the rise in temperatures would lead to exacerbated and more frequent droughts. This in turn will affect the yield outlook for summer crop production, which will have serious financial repercussions to farmers and farm owners. 

In light of these challenges, Oran called for a comprehensive guide to be created, accessible to all in the sector, to ensure that the effects of heat stress are as limited as possible during the summer.