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Jordan News
11-05-2025
- Business
- Jordan News
Ministry of Agriculture Signs Tripartite MoU to Launch Cooperative Lending System - Jordan News
On Sunday, Jordan's Ministry of Agriculture signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding to launch a cooperative lending system aimed at supporting small-scale farmers. The initiative is part of the Second Dutch Agricultural Support Project for Jordan, funded by the Netherlands Embassy and implemented by Advance Consulting (VAL Consulting Services) in collaboration with Wageningen University in the Netherlands. اضافة اعلان The signing ceremony, attended by Minister of Agriculture Eng. Khaled Hneifat and Director General of the Jordan Cooperative Corporation Abdel Fattah Al-Shalabi, included the president of the Multi-Purpose Agricultural Dates Cooperative, Raed Mohammad Al-Saaydeh, CEO of the Integrated Mobile Payment Services Company (Dinarak) Eng. Imad Al-Ayoun, and VAL's Regional Director, Eng. Lamia Al-Dabbas. Minister Hneifat highlighted the initiative as a practical model for financing small farmers through cooperatives, enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainability amid economic and climate challenges. The SACO system aims to provide revolving microloans to cooperative members to help them acquire innovative, water-saving agricultural technologies from certified suppliers who will offer exclusive discounts to the cooperative. A fund of 60,000 Jordanian dinars will be disbursed via the Dinarak e-wallet, ensuring transparency and efficient implementation. The agreement also includes training programs for cooperative members in loan management, financial literacy, and use of digital wallets. To ensure sustainability, a portion of the cooperative's annual revenues will be allocated to cover administrative costs and support system operations via the digital wallet. Certified suppliers will be paid in full directly by the cooperative, while farmers will repay the loans through flexible installment plans using the e-wallet. Al-Shalabi stated that the model aligns with the Cooperative Corporation's strategy to empower cooperatives with self-sustaining financial systems, transforming them into local development institutions. Raed Al-Saaydeh praised the initiative, saying it will ease the financial burden on farmers and enable them to adopt modern technologies without resorting to traditional financing. Eng. Al-Ayoun expressed Dinarak's pride in contributing to the initiative, emphasizing the role of digital financial solutions in improving efficiency and reliability. Eng. Al-Dabbas affirmed that the model embodies the core mission of the Dutch agricultural support project—empowering cooperatives through innovative, independent financial tools that promote sustainable agricultural transformation and strengthen the resilience of rural communities.
Jordan News
27-03-2025
- Business
- Jordan News
Ministry of Agriculture Signs Agreement to Support the Citrus Sector in the Jordan Valley - Jordan News
Ministry of Agriculture Signs Agreement to Support the Citrus Sector in the Jordan Valley The Ministry of Agriculture signed a four-party cooperation agreement on Thursday to support the citrus sector in the Jordan Valley, in collaboration with the Cooperative Corporation, Advance Consulting, and the Jordan Valley Citrus Agricultural Cooperative Association. The agreement aims to fund and purchase advanced machinery for grading, sorting, and waxing citrus fruits. اضافة اعلان During the signing ceremony, Minister of Agriculture Engineer Khaled Al-Hneifat emphasized the importance of public-private sector partnerships in supporting agricultural sectors and enhancing the competitiveness of local products. He praised the support provided by Advance Consulting from the Netherlands, which aligns with the Ministry's plan to support the citrus sector. The Ministry had already supported this sector by establishing a cooling, packaging, and grading center capable of handling 10,000 tons, and the project will provide the opportunity to store all agricultural crops, not just citrus. On his part, the Director-General of the Cooperative Corporation, Abdel Fattah Al-Shalabi, stated that the establishment of the association aimed to strengthen agricultural cooperative work and provide modern production tools that support the efforts of farmers in this vital sector. He also highlighted that this effort falls within the framework of developing cooperative work in line with the National Sustainable Agriculture Plan. Meanwhile, the Regional Director of Advance Consulting, Engineer Lamiaa Al-Dabbas, stressed the importance of the waxing line in supporting the citrus sector, ensuring fair pricing, improving quality, and enabling farmers to market their products more efficiently. For his part, the President of the Jordan Valley Agricultural Cooperative Association, Engineer Ahmed Al-Ghazawi, praised the Ministry of Agriculture's ongoing follow-up and support for the citrus sector. He pointed out that the grant provided by Advance Consulting was a significant step toward completing the packaging, grading, and waxing center. The support will contribute to improving farmers' income, enhancing the quality of local products, and stabilizing the citrus market. -- (Petra)
Jordan Times
11-02-2025
- Business
- Jordan Times
Mercy Corps, Dutch embassy celebrate success of Jordan Hortifuture project
The project aims to strengthen the broader horticulture sector (Photo courtesy of Mercy Corps) AMMAN — Under the patronage of Minister of Agriculture Khaled Hneifat and in the presence of Dutch Ambassador to Jordan Harry Verweij, Mercy Corps held the closing ceremony for the Jordan Hortifuture project. The three-year project was funded by the Dutch embassy to Jordan and implemented through a consortium comprising Mercy Corps, Wageningen University, and 'Advance Consulting,' according to a statement for The Jordan Times. The project aimed to strengthen the broader horticulture sector across the whole value chain and improve the income opportunities and longer-term resilience of smallholder farmers in Balqa, Irbid, Ajloun, and Jordan Valley in Jordan, while including women, and youth. The project was implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Agricultural Research Centre, the Jordan Cooperative Corporation, the Agricultural Credit Corporation, and the Jordanian Association of Olive Products Exporters. In his opening remarks, Country Director of Mercy Corps Jordan Darius Radcliffe emphasised the importance of cooperation and a shared vision for sustainability, innovation, and resilience in Jordan's agricultural sector. He also said "The project has made remarkable progress in supporting the agricultural sector, with 5,166 farmers receiving Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training, enabling them to adopt more efficient and sustainable farming methods. As a result of the project's interventions, 65 per cent of participating farmers reported an increase in their income, demonstrating the programme's success in enhancing financial stability and expanding market opportunities. Verweij highlighted the importance of agriculture, saying, 'As a global leader in agriculture, the Netherlands values this vital sector. With 25 per cent of underprivileged households in Jordan relying on it for income, our partnership is crucial. I am confident the programme's impact will endure, strengthening Jordan's position as a sustainable agricultural producer. He added, 'We aim to be a stable and solid partner of Jordan as we know that Jordan strives to be the same to us, the Netherlands, and to the international community at large. We know we may count on Jordan to give that friendship to the Dutch.' Hneifat stressed that the project represents an outstanding model of cooperation and partnership in the agricultural and food security sectors. He expressed his gratitude to all those involved in its implementation and hoped to see more similar initiatives in the future. The closing ceremony was attended by representatives of the consortium members, project partners and stakeholders from various ministries, government entities, public and private sector institutions, and international organisations involved in the project's implementation. The event included comprehensive presentations and videos on the project's key objectives and success stories from beneficiaries. At the end of the ceremony, the project's donor, consortium members, and key partners who contributed to its success were honoured. The event also featured a bazaar, where a group of beneficiary farmers displayed a diverse range of their agricultural products, the statement said.
