- Title: Egypt's jasmine farmers struggle through economic headwinds
- Date: 2nd September 2022
- Summary: SHUBRA BELOULA, GHARBIA, EGYPT (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FARMERS HARVESTING JASMINE IN THE FIELD JASMINE FIELD VARIOUS OF JASMINE FARMER, UM MOHAMED, COLLECTING JASMINE FROM FIELD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) JASMINE FARMER, UM MOHAMED, SAYING: “Jasmine has a special way to be cultivated. You can only pick jasmine in the early morning starting at 1 a.m., but when it becomes hot, you cannot pick it and it won’t be good when you collect it. (Early morning) is the best time to do it.†WOMAN COLLECTING JASMINE FROM FIELD JASMINE FARMER, MOHAMED BADR, COLLECTING JASMINE FROM FIELD COLLECTED JASMINE VARIOUS OF MOHAMED AND UM MOHAMED COLLECTING JASMINE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) JASMINE FARMER, MOHAMED BADR, SAYING: “Our village is known for growing and collecting jasmine. It’s an essential plant for our village.†VARIOUS OF JASMINE MIDDLEMAN, ABDO BADR, MOVING JASMINE FROM WICKER BASKETS TO BUCKETS TO WEIGH THEM VARIOUS OF ABDO PUTTING JASMINE IN WOODEN BOXES ABDO WEIGHING JASMINE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) JASMINE MIDDLEMAN, ABDO BADR, SAYING: “The Russia-Ukraine war has also affected our distribution because Russia used to take a good portion of our production. It’s also affecting people who are afraid and are not buying what they deem as unnecessary or luxurious like fragrances.†VARIOUS OF WOMEN MOVING JASMINE FROM ONE BUCKET TO ANOTHER TO WEIGH IT / PUTTING IT IN WOODEN BOXES CAIRO, EGYPT (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNDERSECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE IN GHARBIA, KHALED ABO SHADY, SAYING: “We try to adapt to higher temperatures and climate change using different techniques while cultivating jasmine crops so production won’t be affected and to enhance the production of the fragrant oil coming out of it.†SHUBRA BELOULA, GHARBIA, EGYPT (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MAN TAKING WOODEN BOXES OFF TRUCK AND PLACING THEM ON GROUND WOODEN BOX WITH JASMINE INSIDE / SCALE JASMINE INSIDE A WOODEN BOX JASMINE FIELD JASMINE FLOWERS PEOPLE RIDING THREE-WHEEL MOTORCYCLE WITH WOODEN BOXES OF JASMINE
- Embargoed: 16th September 2022 10:06
- Keywords: Egypt's jasmine farmers struggle through economic headwinds
- Location: GHRABIA AND CAIRO, EGYPT
- City: GHRABIA AND CAIRO, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Climate Adaptation and Solution,Climate Change,Environment,General News,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001211901092022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The village of Shubra Beloula on the Nile Delta is at the heart of the jasmine industry in Egypt, which along with India is one of the world's top two producers.
The fragrant flower is the village's main economic activity and source of income, employing most of the population of about 15,000 during the harvesting season between June and September.
In fields outside the village, workers walk along rows of bushes in the relative cool of the night and early morning, using head torches to pick flowers by hand into baskets.
The flowers are processed nearby to extract a concentrate known as absolute, which is exported to Europe and elsewhere for use in perfumes.
But the trade has been hit by disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, dampening demand and straining supply chains.
“The Russian-Ukrainian war has also affected our distribution because Russia used to take a good portion of our production. It’s also affecting people who are afraid and are not buying what they deem as unnecessary or luxurious like fragrances,†said Abdo Badr, a middleman between farmers and factories.
High temperatures this summer have also highlighted a potential risk from climate change on the fragile jasmine flower, he added. The flowers need to be harvested before the sun comes up and the jasmine dries out in the heat.
(Production: Amr Abdalla, Mariam Rizk) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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