2nd int’l date festival slated for October 16

AMMAN — The number of Medjoul date palms in the Kingdom stands at approximately half a million, constituting 14 per cent of international production, Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Shahahdeh said on Sunday.

The minister made his remarks during a press conference to announce the itinerary of the second international dates festival scheduled for October 16-18 in Amman, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Known as “Medjoul”, the Jordanian date or “king of dates” is a popular variety famous for its high quality and sweet taste.

The event is organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation with the support of the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 

“The festival affirms the depth of relations between Jordan and the UAE,” Shahahdeh said, urging participants including date farmers and marketing and packaging companies among other stakeholders, to make use of this opportunity. 

Secretary General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation Abdel Wahab Zayed pointed to the participation of 45 date farmers and companies, representing Jordan, Egypt, Sudan and the UAE. 

The festival will feature a scientific symposium that will host more than 20 researchers and academicians from around the world to present the latest research developments. 

The event will witness the launch of the first Jordanian dates competition, the winners of which will be honoured during the inauguration of the festival. 

President of the Jordan Dates Association Anwar Haddad highlighted that Jordan exports $100 million worth of dates annually, noting that the sector provides between 5,000 and 8,000 jobs. 

Haddad forecast the value of Jordan’s date exports to increase by 80 per cent, Petra said.