Jordanian Tomato Leads Vegetable Exports with Annual Production of 400–500 Thousand Tons
Monitoring3 min read
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The Jordanian tomato crop has emerged as the leading item in vegetable exports, with an annual production of 400-500 thousand tons, within a sector that ranks 10th globally, with $136 billion, according to the Global Food Commodities Classification by Visual Capitalist.
The report, based on data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), indicates that the poultry sector is the major pillar in local animal production, with investments exceeding one billion Jordanian Dinars, while this sector ranks 6th globally, with approximately $264 billion.
The local production of cow and sheep milk covers a very high percentage of the needs of local dairy and cheese factories, a sector that leads global production, with $379 billion, while olive oil and olives, within the classification of oilseed/tree crops, cover the local need and direct the surplus for export.
The Kingdom seeks to transform into a regional food security hub, connecting the countries of the region, in parallel with the implementation of the Economic Modernization Vision (2022–2033), to obtain a share of the total production value of the top 40 food commodities in the world, whose value last year exceeded $4.3 trillion.
Jordan ranks high in production efficiency and competitiveness for some crops, raising its position in the Global Food Security Index, as Jordan ranks 47th globally and 7th in the Arab world according to the latest readings of the index issued by Economist Impact, characterized by very high scores in "food quality and safety" and "abundance of outlets and strategic stock"
In the Global Hunger Index, Jordan ranks 52nd globally with a "low" severity level, with about 10.6 points.
The agricultural sector directly contributes 4.5% of the gross domestic product, and indirectly through food industries and related logistics services, by more than 15-20%, as Jordan is among the top 10 exporters of tomatoes and some vegetables from the Jordan Valley during the winter peak times when neighboring and European markets lack fresh production.
According to recent data from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Statistics, the self-sufficiency rate of olive oil is 120-130%, with a surplus and export to the Gulf markets, America, and Europe.
The self-sufficiency rate of table eggs is 100-105%, and poultry meat is 85-90%, and fresh dairy and cheeses is 80-85%, most of which is through local cow and livestock farms.
The self-sufficiency rate of wheat, rice, and corn does not exceed 5%, with almost complete reliance on imports with a strategic stockpile (silos) sufficient for 10-12 months.
The National Food Security Strategy (2021–2030) and the National Sustainable Agriculture Plan outline the main strategic objectives for Jordan, transforming into a regional food security hub, by establishing a regional food logistics complex to take advantage of the geographical location, and re-exporting and storing essential commodities.
The strategy also includes increasing the self-sufficiency rate in red meat and fish, by increasing the participation of fish farming and livestock fattening projects to reduce the import gap, in addition to expanding water agriculture technology, aiming to increase the efficiency of irrigation water use by 30-40%, to produce high-value crops with lower water consumption, while securing and increasing strategic storage capacity, building new silos and expanding food storage facilities in Aqaba and Amman to ensure a safe stock of wheat and strategic commodities for periods exceeding a year, and reducing loss and waste in agricultural crops and the supply chain by 30% by 2030.
