Khaberni - The recent rains have renewed the hopes of the farmers in the Northern Jordan Valley for an improvement in the agricultural season, which suffered from rain retention in the past period.
Farmers said that the rainfall has restored their optimism, noting what the current rains reflect for the hopes of citrus growers, which represent the main agriculture in the area, alongside palm trees, tropical plantations, and grains like wheat and barley, in addition to its importance in sprouting pastures for livestock.
Farmer Akram Al-Shaar mentioned that the citrus trees had suffered from low fruit quality and small size due to the lack of rainfall and insufficient irrigation water, noting that farmers are hopeful about the recent rains, which are hoped to repeat during the winter season, God willing.
Farmer Mohammad Al-Bashtawi said that the rains have revitalized the hopes of vegetable and grain farmers, and are likely to encourage them to take advantage of the season with various protected and open field crops.
In turn, Agricultural Director Muhammad Al-Nuaim stated that the recent rains will directly benefit the citrus trees, which occupy the largest area of farming in the Northern Jordan Valley, in terms of improving fruit quality, speeding up their coloring, and enhancing their flavor properties, thereby helping improve marketing and financial returns for farmers.
He pointed out that the rains positively reflect on the open field green plantations by reducing the agricultural pests that affect the crops, in addition to washing the soil, conditioning it, reducing salinity levels, renewing its vitality, and promoting the growth of pastures.
Al-Nuaim explained that the recent rainfall has helped to increase the water reservoirs in the area, which depend on their water for irrigated farming in the Northern Jordan Valley.
The agricultural area in the Northern Jordan Valley district is about 118,000 dunams, predominantly occupied by citrus farming with an area of 66,000, while vegetable farming occupies 34,000, and wheat and barley take up 12,000 dunams, in addition to 3,000 dunams each for bananas and palm trees.
