(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)
Amman, Aug. 3 (Petra)- Minister of Agriculture, Khaled Hneifat, on Thursday inaugurated Jordan 1st Flower and Rural Products Festival in Al Hussein Gardens, which is organized by Ministry of Agriculture, in cooperation with Jordanian Association for Cut Flowers & Ornamental Plants and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hneifat said the ministry worked within the National Plan for Sustainable Agriculture and its axis of rural development and women's empowerment, aimed to launch a series of fairs and festivals that support rural product marketing activities.
Hneifat noted the festival is the first of its kind, adding that the ministry's efforts paid off by supporting the Kingdom's cut flowers and ornamental seedlings sector, providing financing through interest-free loans, and offering youth training programs to 1,200 trainees.
Moreover, Hneifat noted this sector provided about 5,700 jobs, which drove its expansion, as production rate met 90% of the local need of flowers and ornamental seedlings, adding that Jordan needs 50 million flowers, of which 45 million are grown locally.
This growth, he noted, saved about JD25 million in imports, in addition to employing youth in the sector, especially majority of its workers are females, which supports rural women empowerment.
Hneifat said the ministry's future exhibitions "continuously" seek to strike partnership with local associations and productive families.
In this regard, he said a total of 100 participants from associations, productive families, farms and nurseries took part in the event, and income would be reflected on 1000 households through direct and indirect participation, which helps marketing various agricultural products.
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