Agriculture Minister Khaled Hanifat said Tuesday that his ministry's strategy is to support olive farming through national projects to improve quality and enhanced export opportunities. Speaking at a ceremony opening the olive harvest season at an olive press in Balqa governorate, he said the ministry has attached great importance to developing olive farming due to its contribution to the national economy and positive social and environmental.. Hanifat said the ministry has helped to promote olive oil exports through a subsidy of 1 dinar per 1 kg in previous years, and launched pilot projects with a focus on water harvesting as part of the national sustainable agriculture strategy. He also said the ministry's nurseries produce olive seedlings of certified varieties at nominal prices through its stations, where more than 200,000 are produced annually. The minister said 145 olive presses are spread across the governorates of the Kingdom, many of them modern with centrifugal systems and advanced production lines, at an estimated capacity of about 407 tons per hour, which ensures a high quality and competitive output. He expected Jordan's oil production at about 33,000 tons this season, 25,000 tons for local consumption and 8,000 tons as a strategic stock.

Source: Jordan News Agency