Agricultural sector receives ‘clear’ interest in Jordan, says Hnefiat

Amman: Minister of Agriculture, Khaled Hneifat, affirmed the Kingdom's "clear" interest in the agricultural sector, exhibited in Royal interest and "explicit" paths, aimed to expand industrialization, change the agricultural pattern, open export markets, and support farmers. During the regular morning meeting of Jordan Businessmen Association (JBA), which was held at its headquarters on Saturday, Hneifat said the ministry's capital spending during the next year will reach JD40 million from its budget. Jordan, he noted, seeks to maximize the added value of agriculture to the national economy, despite water scarcity, noting that the Kingdom produces 60% of local consumption of agricultural products, while exports reach more than 60 countries globally. Hneifat also stressed importance of Jordan's agricultural sector, whose contribution reaches 20% of the gross domestic product in achieving Jordan's food security, in addition to providing thousands of job opportunities. Additionally, he said the sector also p lays a role in the environmental dimension by confronting climate change and supporting green economy. Noting the private sector's role in providing job opportunities, he stressed the government's keenness to strengthen partnership between the Kingdom's public and private sectors to serve the national economy. He referred to food security and the Kingdom's experience during Covid-19 pandemic in securing all the local market's needs of various types of vegetables and fruits, with no shortage recorded. The minister affirmed the "remarkable" interest today in the agricultural sector, pointing to the ministry's strategy in this regard. In this regard, he pointed to Economic Modernization Vision (EMV) and initiatives in regulating the sector to be "effective" in the national economy and contribute to providing job opportunities and confronting poverty and unemployment problems. Source:Jordan News Agency