We are fully aware that agriculture is one of the most important pillars of comprehensive sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions. From this standpoint, the National Strategy for Agricultural Development has included among its priorities the development of rural areas and improving their ability to increase food production and agricultural products to improve food security, the sustainable use of agricultural natural resources without harming the environment while preserving ecosystems, enhancing economic opportunities for agricultural producers investing in activities related to agriculture, improving the investment environment in the agricultural sector, using modern technology in agriculture, improving the competitiveness of agricultural products in terms of quality and price, linking production to market demand, organizing marketing operations, developing value chains, and improving the efficiency of irrigation water use.
In this context, the endeavor to maintain excellence and advance the Jordanian dates sector comes through holding the first international festival for Jordanian dates in cooperation with the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in the United Arab Emirates to benefit from the cumulative experience of the award in motivating researchers, farmers and exporters concerned with date palm cultivation and agricultural innovation, and for the distinguished role played by the award in supporting research related to the development of various aspects of the date industry and spreading the culture of date palm at the local, regional and international levels and supporting the encouragement of innovations related to the date industry sector, in cooperation with the Jordanian Dates Association as the incubator of the Jordanian dates sector.
The first international festival of Jordanian dates 2018 aims to support the production, manufacturing, development of value chains and marketing of Jordanian dates with the participation of date producers, local and international date marketing, packaging and manufacturing companies, palm cultivation and date production experts, scientific and research institutions, diplomatic missions, international organizations, businessmen, investors and major international buyers, which will provide an opportunity to establish agricultural trade partnerships and an opportunity to exchange experiences and share knowledge in the field of modern technologies and their applications to meet the challenges associated with the production, manufacturing and marketing of dates and to showcase pioneering experiences.
Eng. Ibrahim Sobhi Al-Shahadeh
, Minister Of Agriculture And Environment Of The Hashemite Kingdom Of Jordan
