Daraa – Mahjoub al-Hashish
The majority of farmers’ crops in Daraa province, southern Syria, were damaged after a frost wave that lasted for four consecutive days at the end of February.
The damages affected the greenhouse vegetable season in the Yarmouk Valley, grown under plastic tunnels, especially winter crops that are sensitive to frost, such as fava beans, peas, and potatoes.
The frost wave’s damages reflected on the local market, where vegetable prices soared, with the price of a kilogram of peas reaching 40,000 Syrian pounds (4 US dollars), after previously being 20,000 pounds.
The price of a kilogram of fava beans rose from 5,000 to 15,000 Syrian pounds, and zucchini prices increased from 7,000 to 15,000 pounds.
Residents of the Yarmouk Basin rely on greenhouse farming, benefiting from reclaimed lands deep in the valley.
Abdul Nasser al-Mohsen, the president of the farmers’ association in the town of Koya, farthest west of the Yarmouk Basin, told Enab Baladi that the association assessed the damages in the Yarmouk Valley from the direction of Koya, which amounted to 3,500 dunams, consisting of various crops including zucchini, cucumbers, peas, and fava beans, noting that similar areas exist throughout the Yarmouk Valley.
Financial losses for farmers
The frost wave caused the farmer Khaled to lose his crops of zucchini and cucumbers on his 40 dunam land, estimating the cost of one dunam at about 5 million Syrian pounds (500 US dollars).
Regarding the details of the damages per dunam, the farmer said it amounted to two million Syrian pounds for seeds and more than one and a half million pounds for organic and chemical fertilizers, along with the cost of medicines he borrows from agricultural pharmacies.
Khaled explained that the agricultural pharmacy he deals with demands he repay his agricultural product debts, which has put him in financial difficulty since frost destroyed his crop.
Farmer Walid Mohsen lost about 20 dunams of zucchini, having sold part of it during the early production period, where the price reached 7,000 Syrian pounds per kilogram.
Mohsen stated that the frost ended his crop and put him in a difficult financial situation, as shops stopped selling him food items due to his inability to repay debts. He had been buying supplies with the hope of repaying them after selling his harvest.
He added that greenhouse farming is a vital source of income for most residents of the Yarmouk Basin, and its damage has led to losses for many farmers.
In addition to frost, farmer Mohammed al-Ahmad complained about a lack of support in recent months, noting to Enab Baladi that the previous government used to provide subsidized diesel to farmers for 2,000 Syrian pounds, along with fertilizers, while he now buys a liter of diesel for 10,000 pounds.
Who compensates the farmers?
Farmers interviewed by Enab Baladi stated that greenhouse farming is the main resource for the people in the area. It is rare for frost waves to affect it since it is located in a low area; however, the continuation of the frost for several consecutive days prevented them from protecting their crops by burning tires.
Some are concerned about not being compensated, as the same area experienced a flood from the Yarmouk River in 2003, and the Ministry of Agriculture did not compensate them at that time. They are calling on the interim government of Damascus to compensate them for their losses due to weather factors.
Jamal al-Masalmeh, head of the Daraa Agriculture Chamber, told Enab Baladi that farmers can consult the Disaster Fund at the Agriculture Directorate.
He noted that the fund is responsible for compensating farmers after forming committees to assess the areas and distribute compensations, emphasizing that frost waves fall under disasters that the ministry compensates farmers for.
Al-Masalmeh added that the fund plays a role in supporting affected farmers, but most of the support previously went to the Syrian coast.
Greenhouse farming is marginalized
Greenhouse farming provides the local market with vegetables in Syria early before the summer seasons ripen.
According to engineer Jamal al-Masalmeh, greenhouse farming helps lower the prices imposed by protected agriculture in plastic houses and provides natural vegetables preferred by residents.
Al-Masalmeh confirmed that greenhouse farming is marginalized in Syria; the plains in the depths of the Yarmouk Valley are comparable to the plains of the Jordan Valley, but the lack of follow-up and support for farmers from successive governments has led to a decline in the importance of this significant type of agriculture for the local market.
Daraa province is a primary source for vegetable production, especially tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, eggplants, and others, with its produce being exported to the capital Damascus and neighboring countries.
These crops are affected by weather changes, as some summer crops in rural Daraa suffered damage after high temperatures in June 2024, causing financial losses for farmers.
Watermelons, tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini were among the most affected crops, according to testimonies from farmers interviewed by Enab Baladi.