Causes of Fluctuations in Vegetable Prices in the Palestinian Market from the Perspective of Farmers and Wholesale Traders in the Central Markets of Palestine | ||
| The Egyptian Science Magazine | ||
| Volume 12, Issue 1, December 2025, Pages 48-66 PDF (811.27 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/esm.2025.464197 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Haroon Alataweneh* 1; Mohamed Althabayenah* 2; Kholoud Alatawneh* 3; Abedelhamid Bahar* 4; Fida Zawahreh* 4; Hamam Abu hashem* 4; Anwar Zeidat* 4; Sabreen Balout* 4; Aseel Abu jehaishah* 4 | ||
| 1Palestine Technical University - Kadoorie - Faculty of Agricultural Engineering - Department of Horticulture and Agricultural Extension - Palestine | ||
| 2University of Lincoln – Graduate School – Malaysia | ||
| 3Hebron University – Faculty of Graduate Studies – Palestine | ||
| 4Al-Quds University – Faculty of Graduate Studies – Institute of Sustainable Development – Palestine | ||
| Abstract | ||
| This study aimed to investigate the causes of fluctuations in vegetable prices in the Palestinian market from the perspectives of farmers and wholesale traders in the central markets of Palestine. The study was conducted on a sample of 308 participants (farmers and traders). The study adopted the descriptive analytical approach by using a structured questionnaire as the primary tool for data collection, after establishing its validity and reliability. The findings revealed that the most significant factors influencing crop prices, which should be taken into account when cultivating crops, are: demand for the crop, followed by crop productivity, and then the cost of agricultural inputs, all of which were rated at high levels of importance. The results also indicated a considerable difference in price fluctuations between the summer and winter seasons. Among the crops studied, tomatoes were found to be the most vulnerable to price instability (41.2%), followed by cucumbers (28.6%), whereas peppers were the least affected (2.6%). Overall, responses regarding the causes of vegetable price fluctuations in the Palestinian market were rated at a high level according to the study scale, with a mean score of 4.18 and a standard deviation of 0.426. The results further indicated that the primary causes of price fluctuations include: Variations in the economic conditions of consumers, leading to price volatility, Changes in climatic conditions and rainfall shortages, contributing to fluctuations, and The extent to which crop supply corresponds to or diverges from market demand. Similarly, responses regarding agricultural policies related to pricing were also rated at a high level, with a mean score of 4.28 and a standard deviation of 0.458. The most significant agricultural policy factor identified was that restrictions and closures at border crossings create substantial price volatility, followed by the finding that importing crops from abroad in the absence of local shortages results in oversupply, thereby undermining price stability. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Vegetable price fluctuations; Palestinian market; Farmers; Wholesale traders; Southern West Bank | ||
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