Greater Amman Highlands
Farming
in the Highlands around Amman is popular due to its strategic location:
agricultural input supplies, the main domestic markets and the export
houses are nearby. The climate in the Jordanian Highlands is
characterised by cold winters (5 – 10°C) and hot dry summers (around
30°C). Water and land for farming are becoming scarce and expensive due
to the rapid urbanization. Production periods for horticulture crops in
this area are from around March until October.
Jordan Valley
Vegetable crops are grown on more
than half of the arable land surface in the Jordan valley. The valley is
known for its fertile soil and favourable climatological conditions in
the Winter. Growers in Jordan Valley once had a unique competitive
advantage for being able to continue growing crops during winter time.
This position is now under pressure due to export limitations to the
neighbouring countries of Syria and Iraq which also acted as a gateway
to Europe and Russia. Now, there is also fierce competition during the
winter months in the Gulf region due to an increase in the Gulf’s own
production. Summer production in July and August is hardly possible due
to the very high temperatures in Jordan Valley. In the last two decades
some farmers switched to growing date palms in this area which has been
relatively successful.
Northern Highlands
The Northern Highlands, around
Mafraq, Ramtha and Irbid, was known for production of cereal crops since
the Roman Empire. Rainfed agriculture has remained popular but
horticultural open field production has gained in popularity in the last
10 years. From a market perspective, the export window has become more
favourable than in the Jordan Valley because of the longer growing
seasons. A limiting and concerning factor is the severe scarcity of
groundwater in this area.