Agriculture exhibition aims to boost local farmers’ achievements

AMMAN —  An exhibition titled “Khayrat Al Urdon”  was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Ras Al Ain Gallery, as part of the “Creating employment and improving food security in the host communities of Syrian refugees in the northern and central badia in Jordan” project. 

The project, which is sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and funded by Japan at a value of around $1.9 million, is implemented in collaboration with the Agriculture Ministry.

At the inauguration ceremony, Agriculture Ministry Secretary General Mahmoud Jamani said that Jordan’s geographical location is “playing a big role” in shaping the political, economic and social capabilities of regional countries, reiterating that Jordan is surrounded by three unstable countries, Palestine, Syria, and Iraq.

Jamani stressed the role of the ministry, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation, in implementing the project, saying that “it drafted a work plan for the years 2014-2019, which gave priority to the sectors affected by the refugee influx in order to enhance their livelihood”. 

Sulafa Mdanat, UNIDO’s Country Representative, said: “This exhibition aims to give our beneficiaries, mostly farmers and producers, the opportunity to showcase the result of our joint work throughout the past 18 months, in addition to linking them with potential buyers.”

Three Gulf investors were present at the exhibition, in addition to representatives from hotels, hospitals and restaurants sectors, with the aim of connecting them with the farmers.

The exhibition also witnessed the attendance of 10 charitable and cooperative societies of the agricultural sector in the governorates targeted by the project — Irbid, Mafraq and Zarqa. 

They displayed food items such as pomegranates, herbs and dried tomato.

“UNIDO is a specialised agency that focuses on building resilient infrastructures, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation,” Mdanat said, adding “its mandate is an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals’  agenda, which Jordan pledged to achieve by the year 2030.”

Japanese Ambassador to Jordan Shuichi Sakurai said: “Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the government of Japan has been providing continuous support for Syrian refugees and host communities, in coordination with the government of Jordan and international organisations”.

He noted that this project is implemented to improve food security in the Kingdom and to create employment opportunities by promoting the establishment of small agricultural business in the host communities affected by the influx of refugees.

“So far, the project has successfully completed both entrepreneurship development and agricultural technical trainings for around 500 local farmers, with a special focus on women and youth in the host communities,” he added.

Last year, Japan donated approximately $66 million to international organisations and NGOs operating in Jordan, according to a statement by the organisers.