King visits Northern Jordan Valley, urges utilisation of agricultural technology

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday stressed the importance of utilising modern agricultural technology tools and finding solutions to mitigate the impact of water scarcity.

At a meeting with a number of leading figures and representatives from the Northern Jordan Valley District — attended by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy — King Abdullah noted the region’s agricultural advantages, stressing the need to enhance production to benefit its residents and counter poverty and unemployment, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty said a number of countries have expressed readiness to invest in the agricultural sector in Jordan, out of their keenness to ensure food security for the region.

The King urged the district’s residents to propose projects and ideas to enhance the agricultural sector, in order to be implemented on the ground.

Turning to COVID-19, His Majesty reaffirmed the importance of taking the vaccine, commending cooperation among all sectors to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

For their part, the attendees expressed appreciation of the King’s support for the agricultural sector, noting the obstacles facing its growth, such as electricity costs, costly raw material, and the lack of effective marketing for agricultural products.

They also commended His Majesty’s ongoing outreach to the public, as well as his steadfast stances in support of the nation’s causes, especially the Palestinian cause, lauding the Royal directives to modernise the political system.

Also speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said the new electricity tariff comes into effect in the first quarter of next year, noting that the saved expenditure will be used to support productive sectors such as agriculture.

For his part, Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi highlighted a number of projects and initiatives implemented in the Northern Jordan Valley District to create employment opportunities and serve the residents in education, health, and other areas.

Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, Adviser to His Majesty for Tribal Affairs Atef Hajaya, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, Public Security Directorate Director Maj. Gen. Hussein Hawatmeh, and Director of the Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans Ismail Shobaki attended the meeting.