Skip to main content

Yemen’s farmers brace for slow pomegranate season

Harvest season for pomegranates has kicked off in Saada amid fears of how a Saudi ban on importing the fruit will affect farmers, exporters and markets.
RTX6G1K8.jpg

SAADA, Yemen — Farmers in Yemen’s Saada province, bordering Saudi Arabia, began harvesting pomegranates in late July amid a Saudi ban on the import of the crop. On the one hand, farmers fear the ban will lead to a price drop on local markets, but on the other, traders hope the lower prices will encourage more people to buy the fruit. Saudi Arabia is the biggest market for Yemeni pomegranates.

Saudi Arabia declared a “temporary” ban on the import of fresh pomegranates from Yemen in December 2018. At the time, Sanad al-Harbi, director-general of the Saudi Environment Ministry's Livestock Risk Assessment Department, explaining the reason for the ban, asserted, “Proven pesticide residues [found in pomegranates from Saada] exceeded the global limit.”

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.