Lemon price to drop in coming days - ministry

AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday reiterated its neutrality towards all traders applying to import lemons into the Kingdom, stressing that import licenses are issued based on transparent, fair standards that serve the public interest.

The ministry said it has granted 110 import permits to eligible traders, each allowing the import of 25 tonnes of lemons, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

An exception was made for the Jordanian-Palestinian Agricultural Products Marketing Company (JPACO), which received a permit to import 100 tonnes in order to support Palestinian farmers, the ministry added.

JPACO, a non-profit jointly owned by the governments of Jordan and Palestine, plays a key role in sustaining the agricultural sectors in both countries, the statement noted.

"The lemon shipment that is being imported comes with prior approval from the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture and is sourced from a specific group of farmers in Qalqilya, whose names and farm locations are registered."

The ministry assured that the expected lemon supply will be sufficient to meet market demand, contributing to price stability in the coming days.