Government urged to take action to save agriculture sector

AMMAN — The Agricultural Engineers Association on Monday urged the government to take immediate action to save the Kingdom’s agriculture sector.

During a press conference, the association’s president Abdel Hadi Falahat said that the association had presented a plan to help revive the sector to both the previous and current governments.

The plan detailed challenges facing Jordanian farmers suggested possible solutions, Falahat said. Although the government considered some suggestions, they gave no direct response, he added.

He also said that the current government had not arranged meetings with any associations or individuals from the agricultural sector, adding that the sector is “not prioritised by the government”.

According to a statement from the association, the agricultural sector contributes directly to the national income by 5.7 per cent and 27 per cent, indirectly.

The association also stressed the need to minimise urban sprawl on the agricultural land, specially in the Jordan Valley.

Falahat added that farmers struggle with the high cost of production, including costly water and energy bills, high labour costs and the lack of land for agricultural use.

Falahat presented suggestions to help revive the sector, including financial incentives on farmer loans, a five-year tax exemption for farmers, the creation of an agricultural chamber and the promotion of grain and fodder farming.

Thaer Rawajfeh, the manager of Shobak’s agricultural department, thanked the ministry for holding educational workshops for the farmers.

He urged the ministry to focus on locally grown and harvested produce and to review the agricultural calendar to understand the life cycle of the crops.

Rawajfeh also urged the government to place a discount on fodder prices for livestock farmers. Due to the low annual rainfall, there is now a higher demand for fodder, which has driven an increase in prices and negatively affected the industry, according to Rawajfeh.