2 CONTEXT ANALYSIS 2.4 LABOUR CONTEXT

The deterioration of the agricultural sector in the region did not only inflict losses on farmers, as thousands of seasonal workers, especially women and youth, lost their only job opportunity during the year, which lasts four months, from the end of December until the end of March.

Many women, girls, and young men who worked seasonally in agriculture claim that their hopes of saving money have been crushed due to the decline in the price of vegetables produced there, particularly the tomato crop, which is relied upon by the majority of farmers for their cultivation. [1] Thousands of families rely on the harvest season which earns them a daily wage of 5 JDs to cover their expenses for the rest of the year. [2] All family members work together to harvest tomatoes and use the earnings to pay for food and other necessities, but the season’s decline has cast a shadow over these underprivileged households and taken away their seasonal source of income.

The Agricultural Credit Corporation in As-Safi grants loans of all kinds and forms to encourage people to work in the agricultural sector, and they finance irrigated agricultural projects for agricultural units, with the aim of reducing unemployment and poverty. [2]

However, residents say that these loans require a sponsor who has a bank deposit to be given, and this sponsor is not available in an area that is considered to be one of the poorest in the region, so the people of As-Safi do not benefit from these loans. [1] The people of As-Safi are calling for the support of local community organizations to provide revolving loan services since large farms and lands are occupied by giant corporations, and they have no power to compete with them using primitive techniques. [2] [1]