193 beneficiaries sign agreements for rural economic development

AMMAN — A total of 193 beneficiaries on Wednesday signed grant agreements under the Rural Economic Development and Employment Programme, which is being implemented by the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO) and funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in cooperation with the Government of the Netherlands. 

Of these beneficiaries, 176 received productivity grants ranging from €1,650 to €4,900, while 17 received entrepreneurship grants ranging from €3,200 to €9,800. The total value of all grants was €649,000.

The programme targets smallholder farmers, rural women, youth and agricultural groups and associations, agricultural producers and exporters, and aims to improve the technical and competitive capacity of rural areas in various governorates.

It will also provide partial funding for the improvement and upgrading of agricultural projects, supporting productivity, production and entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector.

During the signing ceremony, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yusuf Shamali highlighted the sector's success in achieving self-sufficiency and creating more than 3,800 job opportunities in various governorates.

Minister of Agriculture, Khalid Hunaiti, highlighted rural development as a priority in the National Plan for Sustainable Agriculture 2022-2025. He highlighted the key role of the agricultural sector in creating employment opportunities and value-added products.

Enaam Barrishi, Director General of the Jordan River Foundation, reaffirmed the foundation's role in overseeing the implementation of the grant agreements to ensure the continuity and success of the project.

Abdul Fattah Kayed, CEO of JEDCO, emphasised the importance of the $30-million worth project that was launched in 2015 and completed its first phase in 2020, noting that the project's operations are overseen by a steering committee under the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and various government agencies.

The signing ceremony also marked the renewal of a cooperation agreement between JEDCO and the Jordan River Foundation to supervise the delivery of services to savings and credit groups and to administer grants for a year.