In Syria, farmer Hussein al-Hashish has halted his garlic harvest in Tal Shihab, western Daraa, due to decreased prices in the al-Hal markets in Daraa and Damascus. The garlic's market price, staying below 4,000 Syrian pounds (approximately US$0.29) per kilogram, fails to meet harvesting costs. In previous years, garlic prices were higher, prompting al-Hashish to estimate this season's losses at approximately US$5,000. Consequently, he has opted not to plant garlic in future seasons, labeling it a "gamble." Al-Hashish calls for the protection of agricultural produce and demands support in the form of fuel and fertilizers to reduce production costs.
Price declines are not isolated to garlic but affect other vegetables like zucchini, peas, and potatoes, leaving farmers with costs that exceed prices. Many farmers in Daraa link the price drops to market flooding with imported produce. For instance, Marwan al-Hussein, another farmer, abandoned harvesting his ten-dunum yellow watermelon crop in Koya due to repetitive financial losses. Under plastic tunnels, he anticipated achieving profitable prices, but they fell to 2,000 Syrian pounds (about US$0.14) per kilogram, merely covering harvesting costs.
In the Yarmouk Valley, farmer Odai Shihab, growing tomatoes on ten dunums, faces potential price decreases as the crop matures, with current market prices at 11,000 Syrian pounds (around US$0.79) per kilogram. For farmer Mohammed Kiwan, losses in the pea season led him to use his field for shepherding, as the market price of peas reached 2,000 Syrian pounds (roughly US$0.14) per kilogram, equating to harvesting costs. He contemplates abandoning farming if the vegetable price drops persist.
According to Yasser al-Hakim, a Daraa-based vegetable and fruit trader, imported goods have saturated local markets, impacting prices and inflicting financial damage. He cites a trader importing apricots, pushing the price down from 30,000 to 10,000 Syrian pounds (from about US$2.14 to US$0.71) per kilogram. A similar pattern followed for potatoes, with prices declining from 7,000 to 4,000 Syrian pounds (from US$0.50 to US$0.29) per kilogram before the spring harvest. Al-Hakim suggests an export policy aligned with local production needs.
Jamal al-Masalmeh, Daraa Agricultural Chamber head, conveyed to Enab Baladi that the Ministry of Agriculture requested the Ministry of Economy to pause agricultural imports for a month. He underlined the need for an agricultural calendar to regulate exports and imports, balancing local markets. He warns that continued agricultural losses could drive farmers to abandon the trade, adversely affecting the province's economic life and related processing industries. Fertilizer, pesticide, and fuel costs heavily burden farmers, compounded by drying wells and reservoirs.
Source: EB