Fruit, vegetable importers urged to adhere to standards

AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture on Wednesday urged importers of fruit and vegetables to abide by its import requirements, warning that shipments below local specifications will be either rejected or destroyed.

Applying the requirements and regulations of importing produce into the Kingdom saves time and money, the ministry’s spokesperson, Nimer Haddadin, said.

“The ministry will not allow the entry of any shipment that doesn’t meet our local specifications…. All importers are aware of the import requirements, therefore, we urge them to stick to them to prevent the waste of time and effort,” Haddadin said.

In January alone, authorities destroyed and rejected the entry of 376 tonnes of fruit and vegetables for failing to adhere to local specifications, he said.

The shipments were rejected or disposed of due to detecting high percentages of rotten produce and high percentages of dirt, or for lacking labels and certificates, according to Haddadin.

The destroyed or rejected shipments included 50 tonnes of lemon, 26 tonnes of chickpeas, 60 tonnes of fish, 31 tonnes of sweet potato, 22 tonnes of corn, 50 tonnes of banana, 17 tonnes of orange, 23 tonnes of apple, 20 tonnes of persimmon, 55 tonnes of fodder additives and 21 tonnes of hay.