The Minister of Agriculture, Khaled Hneifat, on Thursday inaugurated the first pesticides research and development station in the Middle East, in Amman, in the presence of the Swiss Ambassador to Jordan and Iraq Lukas Gasser, and representatives from Jordanian universities and research centers.
Speaking at inaugural ceremony, Hneifat said Jordan enjoys political and security stability and a “fertile” investment environment to attract large companies and establish stations that support expansion in all sectors, especially the agricultural field. Heavy rains affect 27,000 people in ChinaThese stations serve efforts to deal with climate change, protect crops by selecting the safest pesticides and research-transferred technology and expertise, Hneifat pointed out.
These “pioneering” projects constitute an economic pillar to help youth, he noted, adding that the government is working to develop, update and improve all laws and procedures to support research and development investment to achieve food security.
The newly-inaugurated station is affiliated with the “largest” global company in the pesticides field, and houses a laboratory to isolate and identify agricultural pests, an equipped training hall to implement crop protection products “correctly and safely,” according to a Ministry of Agriculture statement.
The facility also provides appropriate nozzle sprayer technology, greenhouse and open field cultivations, multi-arched greenhouses with a central heating system, a warehouse to keep crop protection products “safely and correctly,” and practical training areas, the statement added.
In addition, Hneifat toured a project funded by Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC) to grow date trees, which depends on the investment of treated water, under an interest-free lending package for entrepreneurial projects.
Source: Jordan News Agency