Page 26 - AA 2024

Jordan

FAO and Ministry of Agriculture announce two new

projects to strengthen Jordan’s agricultural sector

The Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) in Jordan, in cooperation with
the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and
the National Agricultural Research
Center (NARC), today announced two
new projects designed to bolster the
country’s agricultural sector, enhance
food security, and improve livelihoods.
The announcement event brought
together key stakeholders, government
officials, farmers, researchers, and other
partners.
These projects represent a significant
investment in the future of Jordanian
agriculture and are aligned with
national priorities for sustainable water scarcity, high unemployment, and is an urgent necessity to protect and
development and enhanced food global crises, responding directly to the document the genetic diversity of
security. The project “Conservation Jordanian government’s needs and the almonds, which constitutes an essential
and Genetic Enhancement of Local Royal vision for enhanced food security. part of our agricultural heritage, which
Almond Varieties in Jordan for aims to limit and classify local strains,
Sustainable Agricultural Development,” On behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, analyze them genetically, and enhance
focuses on the conservation of Jordan’s the Secretary General Eng. Mohammed
agricultural heritage. Implemented Al-Hayari stated, “The Ministry has their resistance to diseases and severe
in partnership with NARC and other worked in partnership with several climatic conditions to ensure their
research institutions, this project will international organizations to hold food sustainability for future generations,
document, analyse, and preserve commodity exhibitions with the aim of stressing the pioneering role of the
Jordan’s valuable almond heritage, empowering farmers, providing more Ministry of Agriculture in supporting the
including wild and landrace types, marketing opportunities, and enhancing agricultural sector with the close follow-
which are threatened by climate change, their ability to access markets.” He up of the Minister of Agriculture, Eng.
agricultural modernization, and a lack added, “The importance of the project, Khaled Al-Hnaifat, in implementing the
of comprehensive genetic information. strengthening Jordan’s agriculture modernization vision.
This work will involve a detailed sector through enhanced capacities and “These projects represent a crucial
genetic and morphological study, the market access, is evident in empowering step towards a more resilient and
development of conservation strategies, farmers with the knowledge and skills to sustainable agricultural sector in
and the creation of new cultivars with adopt sustainable agricultural practices Jordan,” said Eng. Nabil Assaf, FAO
desirable traits, ultimately enhancing by strengthening strong partnerships Representative. “The FAO is committed
genetic diversity and resilience in between the public and private
Jordanian agriculture. sectors and international organizations to supporting the government of
working in the agricultural sector and Jordan in achieving its food security
The second project, “Strengthening providing better access to the market goals and improving the livelihoods
Jordan’s agriculture sector through through agricultural fairs that connect of rural communities. We believe that
enhanced capacities and market farmers with buyers and expand their by working together, we can build a
access,” aims to improve food opportunities to generate income.” stronger and more prosperous future for
security and the livelihoods of rural the Jordanian agriculture.”
communities by supporting farmers The Director General of NARC, Dr.
in adopting sustainable farming Khaled Abu Hammour, stressed on the The announcement event provided
practices, increasing productivity, and effective partnership with FAO, noting a platform for stakeholders to learn
improving access to markets. Activities that this cooperation will have a clear more about the projects and discuss
will include providing farmers with impact on the development of the almond opportunities for collaboration. The
necessary tools and training, facilitating sector in the Kingdom, which is one of FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture
public-private dialogue, and creating the crops with successful economic reaffirmed their commitment to
enhanced market entry points through feasibility. Abu Hammour pointed out working together to achieve sustainable
initiatives like Agri-fairs. This project that the genetic improvement of local agricultural development and enhanced
will address challenges exacerbated by almond varieties and their preservation food security in Jordan.
24 Arab Agriculture 2024