Fruit and vegetable prices in Jordan have risen by about a third this year, according to some estimates. AFP
Fruit and vegetable prices in Jordan have risen by about a third this year, according to some estimates. AFP
Fruit and vegetable prices in Jordan have risen by about a third this year, according to some estimates. AFP
Fruit and vegetable prices in Jordan have risen by about a third this year, according to some estimates. AFP

Jordan will avoid food shortages but not higher prices, says government


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Jordanian authorities have assured consumers that the kingdom has enough food, but cautioned that it will not be possible to completely insulate the country from global trends driving up costs.

Jordan, one of the biggest recipients of US aid, has remained stable in the past decade as economic and political upheaval hit other parts of the region.

It has weathered previous global economic shocks, including fuel and wheat price surges before the 2008 financial crisis.

But high prices since the pandemic — driven up further by the war in Ukraine in the past two months — have affected most of the country’s 10 million population.

Prices of most fuels and foods have risen sharply. Subsidies on home electricity were also lifted last month, while some staples — mainly wheat — remained subsidised and their prices have not changed.

Average salaries are $650 a month, which ranks Jordan as a middle income country. Unemployment, however, has been officially at a record high of 23 to 24 per cent for the past two years and the economy is officially not expected to grow beyond the 2 per cent rate achieved last year.

Anwar Al Ajarmeh, head of the state-owned Jordanian General Company for Silos and Supply, told state television late on Monday that stocks of wheat — mostly imported from Romania — are enough to last for eight months, while barley stocks would last five months.

He expected rising wheat prices on the international market to more than double Jordan’s wheat import bill to $2.5 billion this year — compared with $1.1 billion last year.

“What [type of] food security are we talking about? Jordan imports 70 per cent of its basic foods and 95 per cent of its wheat,” Mr Al Ajarmeh said.

He said import volumes equivalent to five more months of consumption are expected to arrive this summer.

While the price of flour, which is subsidised, has remained stable at $1.54 a kilogram almost everything else at supermarkets has risen in cost.

Sugar prices have risen since the Russian invasion of Ukraine from 90 cents a kg to $1.

An executive at a major sugar importer in Amman told The National that he expects the supermarket shelf price to rise further in the next few weeks, saying main exporters in Brazil have increased prices.

“All together we are talking about a 30 per cent price rise by the end of the year,” said the executive, who did not want to be named.

Rice rose 10 cents to $1.92 a kg while cooking oil rose 30 cents to 2.90 a litre.

Mustafa Rumman, a grocer in West Amman said vegetable and fruit prices have risen by one-third on average since the beginning of this year, although prices have dropped since the end of Ramadan.

“The cost of fertilisers and fuel for farmers have gone up tremendously,” he said. He added that Jordanian farmers pay $77 for a 50kg bag of fertiliser, compared with $25 a few months ago.

Petrol prices at the pump have risen 10 per cent to $1.20 a litre for 90 octane.

A mother of two who was shopping at the grocer complained that “it has become much cheaper to feed my kids junk food than vegetables”.

Nael Al Kabarati, head of the pro-government Jordan Chamber of Commerce, said traders in the kingdom have proven their acumen by securing supplies in a tough global environment, although consumers have borne the brunt of extra costs.

“The local market has not seen any shortages,” Mr Al Kabariti said. “There are plenty of offers [on supermarket shelves] despite the rising operational costs.”

THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS

Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.

Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.

Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.

Mountain%20Boy
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ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma

When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Manchester United v Club America

When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Copa del Rey final

Sevilla v Barcelona, Saturday, 11.30pm (UAE), match on Bein Sports

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Updated: June 19, 2023, 12:20 PM`