Ministerial committee reviews agricultural census results

AMMAN — The higher ministerial committee of agricultural census, headed by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury, on Wednesday held a meeting to review the main results of the 7th agricultural census following the implementation of all field work.

The census is part of the government’s efforts to provide up-to-date data that help studying the situation of the sector and facilitate support to it, a Planning Ministry statement said.

Fakhoury underscored the importance of the census as a “cornerstone and accurate reference” for drafting future policies and plans for water, agriculture, food security and other relevant fields, the statement said.

He said the census is “professional and independent” and praised the efforts of all institutions which contributed to the success of the field survey, including the Department of Statistics (DoS) which developed 12 electronic systems. 

For his part, DoS Director General Qasim Zu’bi outlined the measures taken by the department to announce the official results. He highlighted the DoS’ efforts to ensure elements of quality in accordance with the best international practices in the field, in order to cover all aspects of the agricultural sector and its relationship with all other relevant sectors.

DoS has conducted the census six times before in 1953, 1965, 1975, 1983, 1997 and 2007, the statement said.

The committee includes the ministers of water and irrigation, interior, agriculture, industry and trade and minister of state for media affairs.

The Cabinet has approved the agricultural census’ starting date as of May 2017, and ordered the formation of a higher ministerial committee headed by Fakhoury.