Lower House approves articles in agricultural risk management fund draft law

AMMAN — The Lower House, by majority vote, on Monday approved several articles of the 2024 agricultural risk management fund draft law.

During the session, chaired by Speaker Ahmad Safadi and attended by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan and Cabinet members, lawmakers approved an amendment stipulating that the law would take effect 30 days after its publication in the Official Gazette, instead of immediately upon publication, as originally stated.

Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Monem Odat said that the law aims to foster cooperation, participation and solidarity among farmers enrolled in the fund, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The House's Agriculture and Water Committee had approved the law on January 26.

As per its rationale, the law seeks to promote solidarity among farmers in mitigating agricultural risks and minimising their impact, while also encouraging agricultural investment by reducing financial losses caused by such risks.

The law also entails establishing the agricultural risk mitigation fund, defining the responsibilities of its management committee, outlining operational procedures, and determining its financial resources and expenditures. 

The bill also enables the fund to compensate uninsured farmers for damages resulting from frost.

At the beginning of the session, Safadi said that the occasion of His Majesty King Abdullah’s birthday serves as an "incentive for dedication and achievement."

He noted that His Majesty recently witnessed the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership between Jordan and the European Union, under which the EU announced a 3-billion-euro aid package.

The speaker expressed appreciation for the EU’s continued support, stressing that Jordan, under its leadership, has become a "trusted international partner," which motivates the Chamber and its friendship committees with EU partners to further boost cooperation and uphold Jordan’s national positions.

He further praised the prime minister’s efforts to boost the national economy, citing the launch of the first phase of the Marsa Zayed project in Aqaba, extending gratitude to the UAE for its ongoing support.