Agreement signed to establish national seed bank

AMMAN — In implementation of His Majesty King Abdullah's directives to enhance the Kingdom’s agricultural sector, an agreement to establish a national seed bank was signed between the Hashemite University and the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) at the Royal Court on Saturday.

The establishment of the bank is aimed at collecting and preserving “a wealth of genetic resources” of wild plants and preserving genes in the short and long terms. 

The project also aims at developing research plans for reserving the genes through scientific methods, providing genetic material and information for various breeding programmes, exchanging information related to genetic resources with local and foreign gene banks.

Under the agreement, the Hashemite University will finance the construction of the National Seed Bank and its research facilities as well as providing a research environment for the academics and students of the university, Prince Hassan Bin Talal College of Natural Resources and Environment and researchers of the NARC

During the signing ceremony, Royal Court Chief Yousef Issawi, who is also head of the follow-up committee for the implementation of Royal initiatives, highlighted His Majesty King Abdullah’s vision towards achieving the food security in the Kingdom, as well as linking applied scientific research with the national priorities.