Irbid Agriculture: Launch of the 18th Annual Pomegranate Festival on the 22nd of this month

The Director of Agriculture in Irbid Governorate, Dr. Abdulhafiz Abu Urabi, said during a press conference that this festival began its first edition 17 years ago with the participation of 40 male and female participants, and today witnesses in its 18th edition the participation of 271, pointing out that women's participation rate exceeds 70 percent this year, in addition to the participation of 12 people with special needs.

He pointed out that the number of applicants to participate in the festival reached 420, and 271 were chosen to participate, giving priority to all pomegranate farmers, numbering 109, and the rest to other sectors, according to the carrying capacity of the permanent exhibition.

He indicated that there is a serious and genuine consideration to extend the festival for three additional days, to allow space for the remaining departments that were not fortunate enough in the first batch, so that their participation will be within the second batch, while keeping the participating pomegranate farmers fixed, as the festival is dedicated to them.

He noted that women's participation is considered a primary and genuine participation, as many rural women rely on the festival to provide an annual additional financial income source that helps them overcome the hardships of living life, through marketing and selling their various products of popular and heritage foods, handicrafts, and various traditional crafts.

He pointed out that the Pomegranate Festival includes various pavilions, including the pomegranate pavilion, the rural products pavilion, the handicrafts pavilion, and the popular foods pavilion. Traditional industries based on pomegranate fruits will also be displayed, including molasses, vinegar, jam, juice, sweets, honey, spices, pickles, alongside cosmetics, various agricultural saplings, handicrafts, and pottery. He emphasized that all these products enjoy a good reputation among the Jordanian and Arab consumer, especially since Jordanian pomegranate is characterized as an organic product enjoying high specifications and quality.

He added that the festival plays an important role in marketing and promoting the products of farmers, rural women, and handicraftsmen by giving them the opportunity to sell their products directly to consumers without intermediaries, ensuring better returns for producers.

He emphasized that the festival is considered an important marketing and tourist window, as it is frequented by a large number of visitors from the northern governorates and all governorates of the Kingdom, and brothers from Arab and foreign countries.

Abu Urabi explained that the products to be displayed in the festival are characterized by their natural character and handmade manufacturing, and enjoy the trust of visitors and citizens who head to the festival from various villages and governorates to buy local products, inviting citizens to visit the festival, attend its opening, and view the various agricultural and rural products, which enhances support for farmers, productive families, and artisans.

He pointed out that the festival witnesses the participation of Civil Defense, Food and Drug, and Standards and Metrology, to inspect the exhibits and ensure safe products are sold to visitors and consumers.

Abu Urabi emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture supports farmers and agricultural producers in Irbid Governorate, and has not charged fees from participants in the festival, stressing that the primary goal of the festival is to support the farmer and maximize the added value of the product, which reflects positively on the economic movement in Irbid Governorate.