Khaberni - Warnings have escalated about the monopolization of "oil whales" in the local market in Jordan after the price of an olive oil tin rose to unprecedented levels, amid complaints about the marginalization of small farmers who are suffering this season due to low production in the "rainfed" olive areas.
Agricultural activist Laith Al-Dweikat, according to Khaberni, said that the rainfed olives, which only account for about 5% of the total cultivated areas in Jordan, did not actually produce this season due to the lack of rain, depriving small farmers of a crop they relied on to support their income and meet their obligations.
Al-Dweikat, according to Khaberni, pointed out that the real problem lies in the monopolization by about 17 people of vast areas of irrigated olive farms, especially in the northern and Azraq areas, where they have acquired hundreds of thousands of dunums, Khaberni enabling them to control the supply and consequently raise the prices excessively.
Al-Dweikat, as monitored by Khaberni, called for temporarily boycotting the purchase of oil to pressure towards adjusting the prices, noting that the one who would suffer from any government step to break the monopoly, such as importing, would not be the small farmer but the "whales" who control the market.
On his part, Mohammad Al-Najdawi, head of the presser's guild, confirmed that the price of a regular virgin oil tin is about 100 dinars, while the price of extra virgin ranges from 115 to 120 dinars, pointing to the pressers' commitment to the official pricing of pressing fees, Khaberni which is 65 piastres per kilo, urging Jordanians not to worry.
In light of the escalating crisis, the Ministry of Agriculture announced that it is closely monitoring the prices, confirming that if the unjustified rise continues, Khaberni will open the door to importing olive oil from trusted origins like Syria.
The ministry also decided to allow each person from the West Bank to bring in 5 tins of oil for personal use under specified regulations, in a step aimed at achieving balance in the local market and breaking the dominance of monopolists.
