Produce prices sink due to slow exports in Jordan

Agricultural produce prices dropped sharply in the local market due to a production surplus and high-cost transport that slowed exports to neighbouring markets, according to officials.
Ahmad Yassin, president of the Jordan Exporters and Producers Association for Fruit and Vegetables, said that thousands of tons of vegetable reach the central vegetable market daily leading to a surge in supplies much more than the demand, prompting prices of high-quality produce to drop.
He said a key reason behind the "noticeably low prices" was a lack of refrigerated trucks to transport the vegetables to neighbouring markets, explaining that transport fare to Dubai had more than doubled recently while trucks were unavailable.
Yassin also said that vegetable prices would remain low during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, starting late June this year, when commodity prices usually soar due to rising demand.
He urged the authorities to step in "to stop the collapse in prices" by providing refrigerated transport at reasonable prices for both exporters and farmers to stimulate exports to foreign markets.