'Wealthy Jordanians buy hundreds of thousands of food parcels for needy in Ramadan'

AMMAN –– Wealthy Jordanians have bought hundreds of thousands of food parcels to distribute to needy families during Ramadan, director of the Foodstuff Traders Association (FTA) Zuhair Harb said Wednesday. 

Harb told The Jordan Times that the number of the parcels could be near 1 million units, containing basic food items such as sugar, rice, cooking oil and frozen meat.

He said that although wealthy Jordanians bought larger quantities of food parcels, the way the assistance is distributed this year is more orgnanised. 

The FTA director added that the amount of food parcels could be enough to cover the needs of underprivileged families for almost the entire fasting month, during which Muslims customarily donate money and in-kind assistance to the poor.  

Harb said the demand for food items during the first 10 days of Ramadan was lower than last year. 

"Usually demand for food remains strong in the first quarter of the month, but this year demand picked up in the first three days only," he noted. 

Harb attributed the slower demand so far in Ramadan to the fact that households have bought their foodstuff needs weeks before the fasting month. 

"Most people have stocked up for the remainder of the month," Harb said, expecting demand to remain sluggish until the last week of Ramadan, when consumers start preparing for Eid Al Fitr, the Muslim feast marking the end of the fasting month. 

In the last week of the month, people start preparing sweets for Eid so demand on certain goods such as sugar, flour and dates goes up sharply, the merchant said.

On food prices this Ramadan, Harb insisted that prices this year were similar or even lower than last year. 

Traders estimate that food consumption during Ramadan usually increases by 50 per cent compared with other months.

FTA figures show that average food consumption costs during the fasting month in recent years reached around JD500 million.