Farmer Youssef Ibrahim tends to a pistachio tree at his farm, in the northwestern village of Maan, Syria August 8, 2022. REUTERS / Firas Makdesi
Farmer Youssef Ibrahim tends to a pistachio tree at his farm, in the northwestern village of Maan, Syria August 8, 2022. REUTERS / Firas Makdesi
Farmers near the north-western village of Maan are harvesting only a quarter of the crop they gathered before the civil war.
Farmers near the north-western village of Maan are harvesting only a quarter of the crop they gathered before the civil war.
The long road to recovery has been obstructed by 'the lack of rainfall, climate change as a whole, and the lack of basic materials', one pistachio farmer complained.
The long road to recovery has been obstructed by 'the lack of rainfall, climate change as a whole, and the lack of basic materials', one pistachio farmer complained.
Syria's worst drought in 70 years took place last year and much of its land remains parched.
Syria's worst drought in 70 years took place last year and much of its land remains parched.
The nuts tend to be harvested at dawn and sunset when their shells split naturally, generating a cracking noise that guides farmers to trees ready for picking.
The nuts tend to be harvested at dawn and sunset when their shells split naturally, generating a cracking noise that guides farmers to trees ready for picking.
Farmer Nayef Ibrahim tends to a pistachio tree at his farm, in the north-western village of Maan.
Farmer Nayef Ibrahim tends to a pistachio tree at his farm, in the north-western village of Maan.
Syrian Agriculture Ministry official Jihad Mohamed said pistachio farming had suffered because the areas in which the nuts are grown had been badly affected by the war.
Syrian Agriculture Ministry official Jihad Mohamed said pistachio farming had suffered because the areas in which the nuts are grown had been badly affected by the war.
Despite that, exports continue with Syrian pistachios selling in markets including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
Despite that, exports continue with Syrian pistachios selling in markets including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.

MENA

Pistachio farming in north-western Syria still faces challenges - in pictures

Farmers have had their hopes dashed by scorched trees and the ravages of climate change

The National

August 12, 2022

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The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make

When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.

“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.

This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).

Age

$250 a month

$500 a month

$1,000 a month

25

$640,829

$1,281,657

$2,563,315

35

$303,219

$606,439

$1,212,877

45

$131,596

$263,191

$526,382

55

$44,351

$88,702

$177,403

 

Updated: August 12, 2022, 10:21 AM
SyriaPhotographyClimate change