Olive trees cover 72% of Jordan’s agricultural land

AMMAN — Olive trees cover 72 per cent of the agricultural land in Jordan, and account for thousands of jobs, a recent Department of Statistics (DoS) statement outlined. 

Approximately 10.5 million olive trees are planted over 560,000 dunums, most of which are located in the northern region of the Kingdom.  Jordan is also ranked 10th internationally in producing olive oil, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported onSunday.

According to the DoS, the sector’s investment volume amounted to 1JD billion in 2018, and it has created job opportunities for more than 80,000 Jordanian families. 

The Kingdom's olive oil production is expected to reach 24,000 tonnes this year and the price of a 16kg tank of oil ranges between JD90 and JD95, according to an Agriculture Ministry statement, cited by Petra. 

The Kingdom's production of olives for the last five years was estimated at 150 million tonnes, 20 per cent of which were pickled, and 80 per cent were sent to olive oil extraction plants.

There are 132 olive oil extraction plants in Jordan, including 281 production lines, which are equipped with modern technology. The production capacity of these plants is estimated at 436 tonnes per hour.

The statement added that Jordanians consume, on average, 4kg a year.

Olives are one of the most important crops in arid regions, according to the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas.