15 food industry factories to be built this year — Agriculture minister

AMMAN — Minister of Agriculture Khalid Hneifat on Thursday announced a plan to establish 15 food industry factories by the end of this year. 

Hneifat’s announcement came during a signing ceremony for three agreements between the King Hussein Bin Talal Development Zone and a number of investors aimed at improving the presence of agriculture industries in industrial and development zones.

Two of the factories, both located in the southern Jordan Valley, are 80 per cent complete, the minister said. The ministry will complete seven more factories in different governorates by the end of next week, bringing the total number of operational factories to nine, he added.

One of the agreements aims to qualify agriculture and food industry investments within the King Hussein Bin Talal Development Zone for incentive programmes. 

The other two agreements relate to the production of "half-baked" potatoes in Al Tafileh, approximately 180km south-west of Amman, as Jordan imports up to 100,000 tonnes of processed potatoes annually. 

The ministry will cover the factories' rent for five years, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

The initiative is expected to create 2,000 direct jobs and an additional 500 indirect jobs, Hneifat said. 

This strategic approach underscores the government's commitment to building strong partnerships with the private sector while investing in the agricultural sector, he added.