14 October 2009
The price of Saudi dates went up by around 70 percent this Ramadan compared to last year, as a 25-kilo tin this year cost YR 12,000 (USD 60) compared to YR 7,000 (USD 34) last year.
A 10-kilo tin cost YR 5,700 (USD 27) this Ramadan, instead of YR 3,500 (USD 17).
The price of Saudi-grown dates increased due to a late harvest in Saudi Arabia this year, which meant that the country's produce could not reach Yemen in time for the festive season.
"Most Saudi dates this year are 2008 produce, not from this year's harvest, since this year the harvest was late at the beginning of Ramadan," said one of the date traders in Sana'a.
Despite Yemenis preferring to break their fast with this recommended food, many had to buy less dates for Ramadan this year.
"We used to buy one big [25 kg] tin in every Ramadan, but this year we just bought a small [10 kg] one because of the price hike," said Abdullah who supports a 12-member of his family.
There is no specific governmental body to oversee the price of dates, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade is only authorized to observe and inspect.
"According to the Internal Trade Law 5/2007, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is responsible for observing and inspecting goods in the market," said Hassan Al-Shami, in charge of consumer complaints at the ministry.
"The quality standardization is the job of the Yemeni Standardization, Metrology and Quality Control Organization (YSMO)," he added.
The increase in the price of Saudi dates this year also led to some traders, who could not afford to import them, to cheat customers by recycling last year's produce.
"We discovered that laboratories in Sana'a mix dates from last year with tea and offer them to consumers," said Yaseen Al-Tamimi, General Secretary of the Consumer Protection Society.
"The role of society to solve this problem is to write letters to the Ministry of Industry and Trade," said Al-Tamimi.
"In the past year, around five tons of rotten dates were seized from the markets and destroyed," said Al-Shami.
This season, the 26 September state-run newspaper reported that around nine tons of rotten dates and expired food stuff were seized from markets in Sana'a.
Al-Tamimi said there is cooperation between consumers, officials at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the YSMO.
Yemenis spent around YR 6 billion (USD 30 million) on dates in 2008, according to a family budget survey by the Central Statistics Organization.
This number is expected to rise in 2009 as the price of dates this year went up.
Individual traders, not import-export companies, usually import Saudi dates to Yemen.
"The owner of this shop himself goes to Saudi Arabia to bring quantities of dates," said Sameer who works as a salesperson in a date shop in Sana'a.
"Many Yemenis prefer to buy Saudi imported dates especially Sari dates," he added.
Yemenis prefer this kind of Saudi dates to others, because it is the cheapest. One kilo this year cost YR 500 (USD2.45), as opposed to YR 350 (USD 1.72) last year.
The Sari date is much cheaper than the Anbarah date, a kilo of which was sold for around YR 6,000 (USD 30) this Ramadan.
"There are many kinds of imported Saudi dates to Yemen," said Sameer.
He mentioned the Sari, Sofry, Anbarah, Ajwah and Sukkary kinds.
"One kilo of Ajwah dates in this season reached to YR 4,500 (USD 22) and in the rest year the price of Ajwah is fixed at YR 4,000 (USD 19)," he said.
Healthy dates all year round
Dates are not only popular during Ramadan in Yemen but also throughout the year, notably for their many health proprieties.
According to medical studies, ripe dates are good for pregnant women. They contain a substance similar to that naturally secreted by the body that increases contractions, especially during delivery.
Dates contain stimulants which strengthen the muscles of the uterus in the last months of pregnancy, which helps the dilation of the uterus at the time of delivery and reduces post-natal bleeding.
The magnesium in them stimulates digestion and prevents cancer.
Dates are a natural cure for intestinal problems and great food for a healthy digestive system, as they are rich in vitamin B3.
The fruit contain a balanced proportion of sugar, fats, proteins and vitamins, and are a rich source of food high in calories.
Yemeni dates are mostly consumed as fresh dates, before the governmental Yemen Economic Corporation packs the rest up and distributes them to members of the armed forces and security in Ramadan, according to Abdullah Al-Kohali, deputy director for commercial affairs at the corporation.
The national company then sells the remaining dates in the local markets, but in small quantities.
Yemeni dates fight pests and floods
The domestic produce of dates is also at risk from pests and floods.
In late 2008, floods in Hadhramout uprooted around 500,000 palms causing a loss for date farmers.
A pest commonly known as the dubas bug also reportedly threatens date farmers' livelihoods in Yemen, despite the Food and Agriculture Organization describing it as generally causing small economic losses to farmers.
"Dubas is rampant in the governorates of Hadramout, Shabwa and Al-Mahara," said Dr. Mohammad Hubaishan, expert on the pest, currently inspecting date palms in Hadramout.
"The Ministry of Agriculture is not combating the pest and, if the situation were it to be left two years without action, the date palms would die," he explained.
"The pest absorbs the plant's natural juices and that weakens the plant, which leads to low production rates," he said. "It secretes a honey-like liquid that sticks to the plant and prevents sunlight from reaching the plant, which also weakens the plant."
"This liquid covers the fruits and that weakens the quality of the dates, making the price of dates very low," he explained.
From 2005 to 2007, the dubas bug severely damaged date crop and thousands of people's livelihoods, according to media reports.
The price of Saudi dates went up by around 70 percent this Ramadan compared to last year, as a 25-kilo tin this year cost YR 12,000 (USD 60) compared to YR 7,000 (USD 34) last year.
A 10-kilo tin cost YR 5,700 (USD 27) this Ramadan, instead of YR 3,500 (USD 17).
The price of Saudi-grown dates increased due to a late harvest in Saudi Arabia this year, which meant that the country's produce could not reach Yemen in time for the festive season.
"Most Saudi dates this year are 2008 produce, not from this year's harvest, since this year the harvest was late at the beginning of Ramadan," said one of the date traders in Sana'a.
Despite Yemenis preferring to break their fast with this recommended food, many had to buy less dates for Ramadan this year.
"We used to buy one big [25 kg] tin in every Ramadan, but this year we just bought a small [10 kg] one because of the price hike," said Abdullah who supports a 12-member of his family.
There is no specific governmental body to oversee the price of dates, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade is only authorized to observe and inspect.
"According to the Internal Trade Law 5/2007, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is responsible for observing and inspecting goods in the market," said Hassan Al-Shami, in charge of consumer complaints at the ministry.
"The quality standardization is the job of the Yemeni Standardization, Metrology and Quality Control Organization (YSMO)," he added.
The increase in the price of Saudi dates this year also led to some traders, who could not afford to import them, to cheat customers by recycling last year's produce.
"We discovered that laboratories in Sana'a mix dates from last year with tea and offer them to consumers," said Yaseen Al-Tamimi, General Secretary of the Consumer Protection Society.
"The role of society to solve this problem is to write letters to the Ministry of Industry and Trade," said Al-Tamimi.
"In the past year, around five tons of rotten dates were seized from the markets and destroyed," said Al-Shami.
This season, the 26 September state-run newspaper reported that around nine tons of rotten dates and expired food stuff were seized from markets in Sana'a.
Al-Tamimi said there is cooperation between consumers, officials at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the YSMO.
Yemenis spent around YR 6 billion (USD 30 million) on dates in 2008, according to a family budget survey by the Central Statistics Organization.
This number is expected to rise in 2009 as the price of dates this year went up.
Individual traders, not import-export companies, usually import Saudi dates to Yemen.
"The owner of this shop himself goes to Saudi Arabia to bring quantities of dates," said Sameer who works as a salesperson in a date shop in Sana'a.
"Many Yemenis prefer to buy Saudi imported dates especially Sari dates," he added.
Yemenis prefer this kind of Saudi dates to others, because it is the cheapest. One kilo this year cost YR 500 (USD2.45), as opposed to YR 350 (USD 1.72) last year.
The Sari date is much cheaper than the Anbarah date, a kilo of which was sold for around YR 6,000 (USD 30) this Ramadan.
"There are many kinds of imported Saudi dates to Yemen," said Sameer.
He mentioned the Sari, Sofry, Anbarah, Ajwah and Sukkary kinds.
"One kilo of Ajwah dates in this season reached to YR 4,500 (USD 22) and in the rest year the price of Ajwah is fixed at YR 4,000 (USD 19)," he said.
Healthy dates all year round
Dates are not only popular during Ramadan in Yemen but also throughout the year, notably for their many health proprieties.
According to medical studies, ripe dates are good for pregnant women. They contain a substance similar to that naturally secreted by the body that increases contractions, especially during delivery.
Dates contain stimulants which strengthen the muscles of the uterus in the last months of pregnancy, which helps the dilation of the uterus at the time of delivery and reduces post-natal bleeding.
The magnesium in them stimulates digestion and prevents cancer.
Dates are a natural cure for intestinal problems and great food for a healthy digestive system, as they are rich in vitamin B3.
The fruit contain a balanced proportion of sugar, fats, proteins and vitamins, and are a rich source of food high in calories.
Yemeni dates are mostly consumed as fresh dates, before the governmental Yemen Economic Corporation packs the rest up and distributes them to members of the armed forces and security in Ramadan, according to Abdullah Al-Kohali, deputy director for commercial affairs at the corporation.
The national company then sells the remaining dates in the local markets, but in small quantities.
Yemeni dates fight pests and floods
The domestic produce of dates is also at risk from pests and floods.
In late 2008, floods in Hadhramout uprooted around 500,000 palms causing a loss for date farmers.
A pest commonly known as the dubas bug also reportedly threatens date farmers' livelihoods in Yemen, despite the Food and Agriculture Organization describing it as generally causing small economic losses to farmers.
"Dubas is rampant in the governorates of Hadramout, Shabwa and Al-Mahara," said Dr. Mohammad Hubaishan, expert on the pest, currently inspecting date palms in Hadramout.
"The Ministry of Agriculture is not combating the pest and, if the situation were it to be left two years without action, the date palms would die," he explained.
"The pest absorbs the plant's natural juices and that weakens the plant, which leads to low production rates," he said. "It secretes a honey-like liquid that sticks to the plant and prevents sunlight from reaching the plant, which also weakens the plant."
"This liquid covers the fruits and that weakens the quality of the dates, making the price of dates very low," he explained.
From 2005 to 2007, the dubas bug severely damaged date crop and thousands of people's livelihoods, according to media reports.
By Ali Saeed
© Yemen Times 2009
