Date farmers struggle after export ban
149 views · Published 14 October 2018 · 4:01 · Indexed 21 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(9 Oct 2018) LEADIN: Dates have long been a lucrative industry for Libya - the fertile ground in the south east city of Kufra proving especially productive. But a recent ban on exporting crops has hit date farmers hard, leading to a surplus of the fruit which is going to waste. STORYLINE Libya is famous for its high-quality dates, which are eaten across the country. The most popular kinds of dates are Balah, Degla and Ajwah. Each type varies in texture and taste. Dates need fertile ground, fresh water and a warm atmosphere, making Kufra, in the far south-east of the country, the ideal place to plant them. The desert town is famous for its large oases and its uniquely rich soil that cannot be found in any other region. But date farm owner Badr Al-Abaj says this year, production isn't as high as it could be. "Production is 50 per cent weaker, production is negligible. The size of the dates is small, we can say that it's an average production, not like the production of past years," he says. Until around a year ago, dates were a lucrative industry for Libya with the Ministry of Agriculture exporting them abroad to Egypt, Tunisia and even Italy. But the eastern prime minister of the Libyan Interim Government, Abdullah al-Thani, issued a decree banning the export of all kind of crops abroad, including dates. Date traders such as Mohamed Abdullah are angered by the decision: "Al-Thani shouldn't make this decision, because there are people who make a living from the dates," he says. Libya produces a large surplus every year that needs to be exported or will remain and be spoiled. The dates export ban is not the only obstacle faced by farmers - lack of liquidity in the Libyan banks, the high price of fertilisers and expensive labour pose their own challenges. Meanwhile, regular power blackouts in the region cause water pumps used for irrigation to breakdown - and replacements are costly. "There are some pumps that when cut off from electricity for five or ten days they burn, and if you come looking for a new pump, the seller will tell you that the cost of it is between 10,000 to 12,000 dinars (7,000 to 8,500 US dollars)," complains Abdullah. The Ministry of Agriculture has also stopped providing support and materials for farmers, which also means a lack of pesticides to protect the crops from harmful insects. For celebrations, such on the arrival of a new baby and Mawlid (the birth of the Prophet), dates are served along with a famous Libyan traditional dessert called Assida. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/43109bf7b3c6a3b7e0fb4029a055a0ea
