21st National Olive Festival commences

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Agriculture Minister Khalid Hneifat on Thursday inaugurated the 21st National Olive Festival in Amman.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, attended by HRH Princess Basma Bint Ali, chairperson of the board of trustees of the Hashemite Fund for the Development of the Jordan Badia's (HFDJB), Hneifat conveyed His Majesty’s greetings to the festival’s stakeholders.

Jordan is among the world’s top 10 producers of olive, as olive trees cover some one million dunnums in Jordan, including more than 20 kinds, Hneifat said. 

The minister added that the Kingdom is home for more than 138 oil presses with a productive capacity of 451 tonnes per hour.

Highlighting the importance of supporting the oil sector to promote its products, the minister said that the area of this year’s festival is increased to 11,000 sq.m, as well as it will last for 10 days instead of four to facilitate free of charge marketing opportunities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

The festival witnessed the participation of 500 women from the badia, rural areas and camps. The event also included 18 productive kitchens, in addition to the participation of owners of oil presses and associations that produce traditional food and  handicrafts, Hneifat added.

Representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation Nabil Assaf said that the festival connects producers and consumers.