Ramtha, July 26 (Petra) – Minister of Agriculture Khaled Hneifat said Saturday the ministry is forging ahead with projects to enhance the agro food industry across the Kingdom through supporting small- and medium-sized factories that contribute to developing the agricultural value chain and absorbing surplus seasonal production.

Speaking during the opening of a new factory for packaging and processing frozen fruits and vegetables in Al-Hassan Industrial City, the minister said such projects would help achieve national food security and reduce agricultural loss.

“This type of investment constitutes a local economic lever that creates direct and indirect job opportunities and stimulates commercial and agricultural activity in targeted areas, particularly in governorates with abundant agricultural production,” he told the ceremony, attended by local officials in Ramtha District.

Hneifat said his ministry is working in partnership with the private sector to expand the local food manufacturing base through facilitating financing, guidance, and technical and logistical support, ensuring the sustainability of these projects and their capacity to expand and export to foreign markets in the future.

For her part, the factory’s manager, Iman Bani Saeed, commended the Agriculture Ministry’s support, response, and follow-up, which helped to stimulate and raise investment in agri-food industries.

The new factory in Al Hassan Industrial City is a vital model in the state’s drive to promote food manufacturing as a strategic focus for agricultural and economic development, after 20 factories were launched, officials said. It reflects the government’s commitment to directing investments to areas with high agricultural density, contributing to balanced development and enhancing reliance on local production.

The project, part of the food manufacturing plan of the National Sustainable Agriculture strategy, offers about 40 direct job opportunities for local people in its first operational phase, and the number will rise with future expansion.

//Petra//SS
26/07/2025 16:01:36