AMMAN — The second Jordanian Dates Festival kicked off on Wednesday, displaying a variety of Jordan-grown dates and promoting palm cultivation in the Kingdom. 

 

Supported by the United Arab Emirates in cooperation with the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, the festival, which ends on Friday, was attended by 19 ambassadors to the Kingdom and 25 foreign delegations.

 

Minister of Agriculture and Environment Ibrahim Shahahdeh stressed at the launch that the date palm in Jordan is “one of the most promising and economically impacting crops”.

 

He added: “Jordan has not traditionally planted palm trees, but recent developments have expanded the cultivation of distinctive varieties of palm trees such as Majdool and Bahri. This makes the sector’s potential very promising, given the demand for those two Jordanian varieties and the high prices they are sold for.”

 

The number of palms in the Kingdom amounts to nearly half a million, according to statistics presented at the launch.

 

Palm cultivation is now considered “a priority” in Jordan because they are grown in marginal areas of deserts and are characterised by their ability to tolerate water that is not suitable for traditional crops, in addition to their economic feasibility and high yield, said ministry Spokesperson Lawrence Majali.  

 

He told The Jordan Times that some types of Jordanian dates, characterised as “big, long, and heavy”, are sold by the piece and can reach up to $3 per date in countries such as Holland. 

 

It was also announced at the event that 15 of the world's largest date buyers have confirmed partnerships with Jordanian producers and exporters at the festival.

 

International experts and specialists in the research of challenges, diseases, marketing issues and value chain developments for date cultivation participated in a scientific convention at the festival. 

 

Ahmed Ali Mohammed Baloch, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Jordan, said in his speech that “date palm development in our countries has a special agricultural value and is considered an economic priority, as it increases food security while taking advantage of minimal natural resources”.