Amman: Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khreisat on Thursday welcomed a World Bank mission conducting the Midterm Review (MTR) of the Agriculture Resilience, Value Chain Development, and Innovation (ARDI) Program. This review is part of routine monitoring to assess progress and discuss priorities and next steps aimed at sustaining targeted agricultural and rural development outcomes.
According to Jordan News Agency, Khreisat emphasized the partnership with the World Bank in supporting agriculture sector priorities, referring to the ARDI as a model of development cooperation that directly improves rural livelihoods and strengthens the sector's ability to tackle challenges, including climate change and water scarcity. He highlighted the ministry's focus on scaling water-harvesting techniques and modern water-saving technologies to enhance water-use efficiency and productivity. Additionally, Khreisat pointed out the importance of investment in training and capacity building to support youth and women, opening new economic opportunities in rural areas.
Khreisat also identified value chain development as a crucial method to increase local product value and expand marketing and export opportunities. He reaffirmed the ongoing collaboration with partners to enhance extension services and provide technical support that aligns with market needs and quality standards. Furthermore, he stressed the empowerment of agricultural cooperatives to improve market access and increase farmers' economic returns, supporting technical efforts that enhance cooperative efficiency and expand their capacity to generate sustainable jobs.
In a statement, the World Bank mission praised the program's strong performance. It reported that the achievement of Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) has surpassed 81%, demonstrating implementation efficiency and significant progress toward the program's objectives. The mission noted that the visit aims to evaluate progress, review performance indicators and results, and discuss subsequent steps following the approval of a $116 million additional financing package to sustain and broaden the program's impact.
The statement highlighted that ARDI continues to offer practical support to farmers, rural communities, and vulnerable groups, including refugees, women, and youth. To achieve these goals, interventions include climate-smart agriculture training, job-related skills development, and investments in water-harvesting projects and efficient irrigation technologies to boost productivity and strengthen climate adaptation. Additionally, the program aims to improve agriculture-support services to advance value chain development, strengthen export competitiveness, enhance product quality, and link producers more effectively to both domestic and external markets.