A weak pear season in Zghorta affects women’s Mooneh production of jam

Al Mustaqbal newspaper published a report about this year’s pear season in Zghorta which, unlike previous season, had a poor yield which is unfit for marketing and for jam making.  The report noted that the reason for this poor season vary and relate to the quality of fertilizers that farmers bought from traders as well as the damage caused by climate change.  The report shared examples of the predicaments of pear farmers.  According to Mariette Makhul, housewife, the pear in her region were quite poor this year and the skin was spotted which means that it is no good for jam making or even for fresh household consumption.  Lamia Rafful, who owns a shop selling jams, said that the production cost of pear jam is quite high because of the increased cost of pears which reached 4000 per kilo.  According to farmer Youssef Milad Issa, owner of a pears orchard, the problem resides in the power of monopoly exercised by middlemen who stock on production and do not market it as it should be in addition to the high cost of chemicals this year.  Issa called on the Ministry of Agriculture to interfere and regulate the cost of drugs as well as to take care of farmers who depend on their agricultural production for their livelihoods in order that they remain on their land.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 8 September 2014