Page 27 - AWA-41-No.1 issue

JORDAN AGRICULTURE UPDATE

Ministry of Agriculture, FAO and UNIDO
Cereal production estimated
launch Joint Programme on agrifood system
at below-average level in 2024
sustainability and resilience in Jordan
ereal production in 2024 is estimated
Cslightly above 110 000 tonnes, about 3
percent below the average due to below-aver-
age precipitation amounts in Irbid, Balqa and
Madaba regions. Close to the harvest season
in mid-July, the government increased the pro-
curement prices for the 2024 wheat and barley
harvest by JOD 50 from the previous year, set-
ting at JOD 500/tonne for wheat and JOD 420/
tonne for barley, supporting farmers’ income
he Ministry of Agriculture in Jordan, together with the Food and Agriculture considering the low output of cereals.
TOrganization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Industrial Planting operations of 2025 winter cereals
Development Organization (UNIDO), launched a Joint SDG Fund-funded Joint started in late September 2024 in Irbid Gover-
Programme (JP) on Transforming Jordan's agrifood system towards greater sus- norate, a key producing region. According to
tainability and resilience. The Joint SDG Fund’s approach is catalytic, aiming to weather forecasts, drought conditions are an-
leverage systemic change through integrated economic, social and environ- ticipated to have an adverse impact on yields.
mental policy and strategic investments, that can attract public and private fi- As domestic cereal production is just a small
nancing to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.
portion of the total utilization, the anticipated
The JP focuses on developing the capacity of the Government of Jordan to oper- deficit is expected to increase import needs.
ationalize systems-based programs and improve the sustainability performance
and resilience of the agri-food system in Jordan in light of key challenges, includ- Cereal import requirements to increase in
ing threats of climate change, food insecurity, and considering the urgent need 2024/25
for inclusion of women, youth and refugees. Cereal import requirements for the 2024/25
Notably, the JP is closely aligned with existing high-level plans at the national marketing year (July/June) are forecast at 3.2
level; the National Food Security Strategy and Action Plans, in particular, as well million tonnes, over 10 percent above the aver-
as Jordan’s Food Systems Pathway and forthcoming Food Systems Transforma- age level. The government’s measures mitigat-
tion Roadmap. The JP is directed by these strategies and will help move them ing supply shortages, by increasing strategic
towards concrete implementation with measurable impacts. cereal reserves and expanding grain storage
Between now and August 2025, the JP will evaluate the current agrifood systems capacity are likely to ensure adequate essen-
context, as well as implementation of the National Food Security Strategy Action tial commodity supplies, including wheat and
Plan, to identify entry points (value chains, business models, or market systems) barley. The country already initiated replenish-
with potential for upgrading that also address climate resilience and inclusion of ing strategic stocks, with wheat imports during
vulnerable groups. The JP will develop upgrading strategies for three selected July and August nearly doubling the average
entry points, each with clear a vision, action plan, investment plan and financ- for the same period over the past five years.
ing solution, as well as monitoring frameworks linked to a national system that
oversees the performance and impacts of food systems transformation. A multi- Food inflation eased in 2024
stakeholder collaborative approach will be adopted throughout, including train- Ongoing hostilities in the subregion have
ing and experiential learning elements to develop institutional capacity among adversely affected the country’s economic
key stakeholders in close collaboration with the Food Security Council. growth in 2024, particularly the tourism sec-
H.E the Minister of Agriculture, Eng. Khaled Hneifat, stressed the need to shift tor which is an important source of revenue.
towards a more sustainable and resilient agri-food system to ensure food secu- However, food inflation has remained low, with
rity and enhance the ability to face the growing regional challenges consider- an average rate of 1.5 percent for the first ten
ing the limited natural resources, especially water, and the increasing effects of months of the year. In October 2024, food in-
climate change. He added that Jordan has made intensive efforts and taken many flation dropped by 1 percent compared to the
steps and measures to provide sufficient food for the population by launching
the first National Food Security Strategy 2021-2030 and its action plan, in addi- same period last year, marking its lowest rate
tion to adopting paths to transform food systems into more efficient and sustain- since March 2023, underpinned by the moder-
able systems. ate decrease in prices of fruits, nuts and veg-
etables due to high production levels.
“This Joint Programme builds on FAO’s stakeholders and enhance capac-
ity, encourage knowledge and experience exchange among stakeholders, and
promote policy and effective actions towards development of a sustainable,
inclusive and resilient agrifood system in Jordan,” explained Nabil Assaf, FAO
Representative in Jordan. “We are pleased to collaborate with UNIDO on this
joint programme, with the Ministry of Agriculture, and with full engagement of
the Food Security Council”.
Sulafa Mdanat, UNIDO country representative in Jordan, confirms: “UNIDO’s in-
tervention will focus on leveraging the power of value addition brought by food
processing, in transforming food systems outcomes towards achieving their full
potential. We are keen to support the Government of Jordan in this journey, and
FAO remains a natural partner in this regard”.
The JP adopts the methodology of the Agrifood Systems Transformation Ac-
celerator (ASTA), a joint UNIDO-FAO global program dedicated to the creation
of system-based solutions – solutions created within the agrifood system that are
self-sustaining, adaptive, and resilient.
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