15th annual Pomegranate Festival boosts local economy — organisers

AMMAN — The 15th annual Pomegranate Festival recently concluded, recording an overall revenue of JD450,000, according to a stakeholder.

Over the course of the three-day festival, the event showcased a diverse range of local products, culinary heritage and handicrafts, Director of the Directorate of Agriculture in Irbid Abdelhafez Abuorabi told The Jordan Times.

“There were around 130,000 visitors and 300 participants during the three days of the festival, from 26th to 28th of October,” Abuorabi said.

Previously, Abuorabi said that Irbid is home to approximately 3,000 dunums of pomegranate trees, which annually produce around 7,000 tonnes of pomegranate and 30 to 40 tonnes of pomegranate molasses.

He added that the festival, which was organised by the Directorate of Agriculture in Irbid and the Jordan Farmers Union in Irbid (JFU), “has had a significant impact on rural areas’ development as it generates revenue for its local communities”.

Sales of pomegranate totalled around JD100,000, according to Abuorabi, who pointed out that this festival had the highest sales volume and visitors when compared with previous years.

Moreover, he said a significant number of participants were women from rural communities.

The Jordan Times contacted the ministry’s spokesperson on Monday; however he was not available to comment.