Food reserves sufficient until after Ramadan — Trade ministry

AMMAN — The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply assured the public of sufficient availability of basic foodstuffs in the Kingdom, stressing that the Suez Canal blockage did not affect local food stocks.

In remarks to The Jordan Times on Sunday, Trade Ministry Spokesperson Yanal Barmawi said that “there is a sufficient quantity of basic food reserves until after the holy month of Ramadan”.

He pointed out that imports for Ramadan have begun early this month, and that large volumes of goods arrived in the Kingdom before the Suez Canal mishap.

According to a statement by the Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and Management, the ships en route to Jordan that were stuck in the canal, are mostly loaded with vehicles and chemicals, but also some carry sheep, corn and soybeans, which are periodic imports for the private sector that do not affect the local food stock. 

Barmawi noted that Jordan’s imported food comes from many sources, “therefore import operations are still on”.

Items such as sugar and rice are imported from Saudi Arabia and the UAE across land borders, according to a ministry statement made available to The Jordan Times.

The ministry statement said that some food items are imported to Jordan from Southeast Asia and Australia, and do not pass through the Suez Canal.

“The ministry continues to follow up with the relevant authorities including the Foodstuff Traders Association (FTA) and Jordan Chamber of Commerce, to maintain sufficient stocks of food,” the spokesperson added.