‘Kingdom exports first shipment of vegetables to West Bank’

AMMAN — Jordan on Wednesday exported the first shipment of vegetables to the West Bank, an official at the Ministry of Agriculture said.

The shipment contained cucumber, among other vegetables, the ministry’s spokesperson, Nimer Haddadin, said, underscoring that the country will also start exporting live sheep soon to Palestine.

“The West Bank is a promising and feasible market for our produce of fruit and vegetables… Exporting to the West Bank has faced challenges before, but it is expected to increase from now on,” Haddadin said.

The official noted that opening the West Bank market to the country’s produce will benefit farmers and exporters of fruit and vegetables, who are facing challenges in marketing their produce in light of the ongoing closure of the Kingdom’s borders with Syria and Iraq.

The ministry announced on Tuesday that it has plans to attract Turkish agricultural companies to handle exporting local fruit and vegetables from Turkey to Europe via Haifa port.

Meanwhile, Haddadin said the ministry has rejected a shipment of wheat exported from Israel.

“The shipment was denied entry into the country because it didn’t meet our standards,” Haddadin told The Jordan Times.