Local poultry sector can now export hatching eggs to UAE

AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture on Wednesday announced that exporting hatching eggs and day-old chicks to the United Arab Emirates is now possible.

The UAE has approved importing unlimited quantities of hatching eggs and day-old chicks from Jordan, Minister of Agriculture Khaled Hneifat said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times.

The Gulf country has also allowed the import of poultry meat from Jordan, Hneifat said, noting that the Kingdom adheres to the requirements of the World Organisation for Animal Health.

A delegation from the UAE visited the country in November last year and visited border crossings and poultry farms. 

The delegates also met with a group from the private sector, according to the ministry’s spokesperson, Nimer Haddadin.

“Opening the market of the UAE is aimed at finding new marketing destinations and also supporting poultry farmers,” Haddadin said.

But Jordanian Poultry Producers Union President Abdul Shakour Jamjoum said opening the UAE market to local hatching eggs and chicks is only a “superficial” move.

“It is well known that the UAE and the Gulf countries import eggs from Saudi Arabia,” Jamjoum told The Jordan Times.

He said that exports of hatching eggs and chicks to the UAE will be in very low quantities and will generate minimal revenues to poultry farmers.

Official figures indicate that the investment volume in the poultry sector stands at JD2 billion and generates income for 15,000 families.

There are 2,689 poultry farms in Jordan. A total of 85.4 per cent are for the production of broiler chickens, 10.4 per cent for egg-laying hens and 4.2 per cent for breeder chickens, according to the ministry.

Official figures also indicate that the Kingdom has 80.5 million birds in 4,972 complexes spread over 2.7 million square metres across Jordan.

Poultry farms in Jordan are mainly located in Irbid, Ramtha, Irbid, Tafileh, Karak and Madaba.