Amman, Aug. 28 (Petra)–Minister of Agriculture Khalid Hneifat said that more than 95 per cent of irrigated corps in the Kingdom depends on the drip irrigation system. Speaking to Youssef Brouziyne, Head of the MENA Office at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Hneifat said that the sustainable agriculture plan encourages the use of water-saving agricultural technology, as 6 training centers were established on this technology, supporting the construction of 2,500 wells, water collection in the western chain, and the construction of 63 boreholes in the Badia in 2022. He pointed out to the ministry’s plan to counter challenges and turn them into success stories, despite the decline in agriculture’s water share from 70% to 50%; nevertheless, agricultural production has doubled as a result of the use and application of technology by farmers and the private sector. The Minister of Agriculture briefed the meeting on the agricultural sector in Jordan and challenges its faces, especially the climate change and water scarcity. For his part, the IWMI official highlighted projects implemented by the IWMI in the Middle East and North Africa and the Badia projects it is implementing in Jordan, especially in drought predictions, using modern technologies in irrigation and the study of productivity per cubic meter in different crops. The meeting covered future cooperation in introducing advanced water-saving technologies and establishing a center for knowledge transfer and training on these technologies.

Source: Jordan News Agency