Ammon News - * Ministry says no ban imposed on border, but traders fear conflict

by Raed Omari | The Jordan Times

AMMAN — Agricultural exports to Syria have dropped to "zero level" over the past few weeks as traders and farmers have decided not to send their produce to the crisis-ridden country over security concerns, an official said Sunday.

Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin said the government has not taken any decision to ban exports of fruits and vegetables to Syria or any other country, but with the escalating violence in Syria, many farmers have decided not to send their produce to the war-torn neighbour.

"Some three weeks ago, considerable amounts of local fruits and vegetables used to enter Syria, but now, agricultural exports to the northern neighbour have reached zero," Haddadin told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Last week, the ministry’s secretary general, Radi Tarawneh, was quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, as saying that the movement of fruit and vegetable exports by land across the border with Syria had come to a complete halt due to the violence.

He said that exporters have resorted to Arab Gulf countries to market their agricultural produce, adding that Jordan continues to export fruits and vegetables to Iraq through the Karameh border crossing.

Tarawneh said the ministry will take the necessary measures, in coordination with various stakeholders, to find new markets for local produce to ease the burden on farmers.

Zuhair Jweihan, president of the Jordan Exporters and Producers Association for Fruits and Vegetables (JEPA), was also quoted by the Petra as saying that the local agricultural sector has incurred JD80 million in estimated losses due to the Syrian crisis.

According to JEPA figures, Jordan exports around 800,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables annually, with an average of 180,000 tonnes going to Syria.

The Kingdom also exports over 200,000 tonnes to Iraq and 300,000 tonnes to the UAE every year, while some 40,000 tonnes of agricultural products go to Europe, especially Eastern Europe and Russia.

Syria is Jordan's main gateway for exporting fruits and vegetables to Turkey and Europe.

According to Agriculture Ministry figures, in normal circumstances Jordan exports 180,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables to Syria, at a value of around JD40 million annually. Before the crisis, between 300 and 400 freight trucks used to enter Syria from the Kingdom on a daily basis.