Minister of Agriculture inaugurates the Pomegranate Festival in Irbid, with plans to extend its duration to 6 days

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Saeb Khreisat, inaugurated the 18th Pomegranate and Rural Products Festival, held at the permanent exhibition for agricultural and rural products in King Abdullah II Gardens in Irbid, from October 22 to 24.

During the opening ceremony, attended by Irbid Governor Firas Abu Al-Ghanam, Head of the Greater Irbid Municipality Committee Imad Al-Azzam, Head of the Irbid Governorate Council Engineer Munther Al-Batayneh, Irbid Police Director Brigadier General Mohammad Al-Abadi, Bani Obeid District Administrator Dr. Ali Al-Hawamdeh, and representatives of agricultural organizations and sectors, the Minister of Agriculture stated that the ministry continues to implement numerous official activities to serve and support the agricultural sector and farmers. He emphasized that this approach continues in fulfillment of the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II, represented by achieving national food security priorities and transforming challenges facing the agricultural sector into opportunities.

He pointed out that investments have begun to materialize on the ground to boost the national economy and complete the requirements of the National Sustainable Agricultural Development Plan, which has received international and local acclaim.

Khreisat affirmed that the 18th annual Pomegranate and Rural Products Festival in Irbid Governorate is one of the most important agricultural festivals organized across the Kingdom. It serves as a marketing window for pomegranate farmers, associations, and productive families, especially since this year's festival features significant participation from productive rural women, exceeding 70%, which underscores the role of rural women in the development, processing, and marketing of local products.

Khreisat added that this annual festival comes in support of the Jordanian farmer in Irbid Governorate and supports rural products that enjoy high quality and standards acceptable to consumers from all governorates of the Kingdom. He noted that the festival is an opportunity to market one-third of various pomegranate products, including fruit, juice, molasses, and vinegar, in addition to rural women's products such as cheeses, jams, pickles, and popular foods, all of which enjoy a good reputation among all consumers.

He confirmed that Jordan has reached about 61% self-sufficiency in various agricultural crops, an indicator that reflects the development witnessed by the agricultural sector and the efforts made to enhance its productive capacity. He pointed out that the ministry seeks to institutionalize the agricultural sector and strengthen its pivotal role in achieving national food security, especially in light of the challenges facing global food supply chains.

He added that Jordan has achieved tangible progress according to global indicators, which is confirmed by reports and certifications from international organizations. He emphasized continuing work to maintain and build upon this progress, in addition to expanding the introduction of modern techniques and advanced technology into the agricultural sector, contributing to increasing production efficiency, improving quality, and enhancing sustainability and growth.

Irbid Governorate Director of Agriculture, Dr. Abdul Hafez Abu Orabi, confirmed that the Pomegranate Festival in Irbid has gained a wide reputation throughout the Arab world, noting that the previous edition witnessed attendance from several Arab and foreign countries, as it has become a tourist, marketing, and social window visited by people from various governorates of the Kingdom.

He indicated that the 18th annual Pomegranate and Rural Products Festival will continue for 3 days at the permanent exhibition for rural and agricultural products, from October 22 to 24.

He stated that there is serious and genuine consideration to extend the festival for three additional days to allow other sections that were not included in the first batch to participate in a second batch, while keeping the participating pomegranate farmers, as the festival is dedicated to them. Out of 420 applicants, 271 were selected to participate, with priority given to all 109 pomegranate farmers and the remainder to other sectors, according to the capacity of the permanent exhibition.

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

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

Abu Orabi revealed that the festival, which began in its first edition 17 years ago with 40 participants and one woman, has become a promising success story in development. Today, in its eighteenth edition, it features 271 male and female participants, noting that the participation rate of women reached 70%, in addition to 5% from people with disabilities.

He pointed out that women's participation is considered a major and genuine contribution, and that many women in rural areas rely on this festival to provide a primary annual source of financial income that helps them overcome the difficulties of daily life by marketing and selling their products of popular and heritage foods, handicrafts, and traditional crafts.

The representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Dr. Thaer Yassin, highlighted the attention given to this fruit, which is considered a symbol of national identity. He explained that the pomegranate is not just a fruit, but part of our rich history, as pomegranate cultivation has contributed to biodiversity since ancient times, in addition to its important role in development and food industries.

He added that the organization continuously supports small farmers in marketing their products and also works on establishing agricultural food exhibitions and various bazaars in all governorates of the Kingdom.

The festival includes a display of pomegranate fruits and its various products, as well as all productive rural women's products, including food, productive kitchens, handicrafts, traditional accessories, and honey.