Jordan Valley crops sustain mild frost damage  

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) Several Jordan Valley crops sustained moderate damage last weekend after temperatures dipped below zero degrees, a government official said on Sunday.

"We have carried out several inspection tours to farms in the Jordan Valley and initial reports indicate that around 2,000 dunums of vegetables were affected by the frost spell," Director of the Jordan Valley Agriculture Directorate Najah Masalha said yesterday.

A three-day depression accompanied by a cold air mass affected the Kingdom last week, during which the Jordan Meteorological Department warned farmers of possible frost formation.

"Only farms in Northern Ghor areas were affected by the frost spell, during which temperatures dipped to -3°C. Vegetables, such as zucchinis, beans, tomatoes and potatoes sustained moderate damage," Masalha told The Jordan Times yesterday.

She noted that initial reports were presented to Minister of Agriculture Saeed Masri for review.

Meanwhile, Adnan Abdul Nour, the ministry's assistant secretary general for agricultural produce, told The Jordan Times yesterday that final report showing the affected areas and number of affected farmers will be issued today.

In January 2008, the Jordan Valley was hit by the strongest frost spell in 16 years, leaving behind around 120,000 dunums of damaged fruits and vegetables, resulting in JD9.3 million in losses.

In the event of a possible frost spell, the Jordan Valley Authority increases the amount of water distributed to farmers in the early morning hours to prevent damage, according to agriculture officials.

Farmers can take several measures to alleviate damage caused by frost, mainly by increasing the amount of irrigated water and lighting fires near crops to warm the surrounding area in case of a sudden drop in temperature.

By Hana Namrouqa