Jordan mulls over expansion in fish farming to cover market needs

Amman, Sep.11 (Petra) — Jordan is looking forward to expanding, organizing and supporting the fish farming sector sustainably throughout the production and marketing stages, said Minister of Agriculture Khaled Hnaifat.

During a meeting with fish farming associations in the Kingdom on Monday, the minister pointed out a plan to merge the sector into one major incubator and include the manufacturing stages in the sector so that the product could be refrigerated and frozen to cover the local market needs.

Jordan imports about 16,000 tons of fish annually, Hnaifat stated, predicting that local production will cover the market needs if the work of the sector is organized and the quantities and types of river fish on demand in the market are provided.

He stressed the ministry’s commitment to supporting individual efforts and associations through JD100,000 in funding, a low-interest loan of up to half a million Jordanian dinars, or networking with investors to provide production lines that support production expansion and regular marketing.

Additionally, the ministry plans to support the central fish market by financing part of the processing routes, and creating a marketing window that supports the sector.

For their part, representatives of the associations and farmers commended the ministry’s efforts and cooperation and the quick response to their observations and suggestions.

//Petra// AJ
11/09/2023 16:02:41