AMMAN — The
Ministry of Agriculture has issued a statement
responding to recent discussions surrounding the increasing presence of
imported fruits and vegetables in local markets, according to Ammon News.
اضافة اعلان
In its statement, the ministry criticized the head of the
Jordan Exporters and Producers
Association for Fruit and Vegetables (JEPA) for
making statements that do not represent farmers' interests but rather protect
personal farming products sold at “unacceptable” prices.
The ministry underlined its commitment to protecting local
production, preventing monopolies and consumer exploitation, and maintaining a
balanced agricultural equation among farmers, traders, and consumers.
Safeguarding local production
The ministry reiterated its approach to
safeguarding local production by regulating the import process while ensuring an acceptable
balance for all stakeholders, including farmers, traders, and citizens.
The aim is to ensure product availability without allowing
any party to inflate prices.
Produce updates
In terms of specific produce, the ministry announced that
garlic imports have been halted since February this year to encourage
local garlic cultivation and achieve self-sufficiency.
The ministry's policies in the past three years have extended
the period of self-sufficiency in garlic from two months in 2021 to six months
in 2022, with a target of reaching nine months in the current year.
Similarly,
potato imports have been suspended since 2017 to
promote domestic potato production. However, in late October of last year, due
to frost damage and a decrease in market availability, the ministry temporarily
allowed imports of around 200 tonnes to stabilize prices for citizens.
Addressing lemon imports, the ministry regulates the timing
to prevent competition with local products. While
imports of Arab lemons have
been stopped since May 25, 2023, African lemons continue to be imported to meet
market demand, as they do not directly compete with local products due to their
higher costs and shipping expenses.
Concerning peaches, the ministry suspends imports from the
end of May each year, despite the actual production meeting market needs
starting in early July. However, due to
shipping delays, a container of peaches
arrived from South Africa in late May.
The ministry justified this import by explaining that the
quantity of peaches available in the market was still insufficient to meet
demand, and the 19-tonne shipment would not flood the market.
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