AMMAN -- The long awaited higher council for olive oil will be established soon, pending Cabinet approval of a draft law governing its formation, Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin said on Thursday.
Jordan produces between 25,000 to 35,000 tonnes of olive oil every season. Jordan Times
The bill, drawn up by representatives of the olive sector, was referred to the Cabinet last month, according to Haddadin.
"The council will be officially launched once the Legislation and Opinion Bureau studies the draft law," he told The Jordan Times.
The council will include 11 members from the public and private sectors and will be chaired by the minister of agriculture, Haddadin said.
"It will become a member of the International Olive Oil Council," he added.
Once established, the olive oil council will be an umbrella for olive producing and consuming stakeholders and will be in charge of drafting policies regulating the sector.
"The council will make policies to improve the olive oil sector in Jordan by addressing challenges facing olive oil producers and consumers, setting up marketing strategies and opening new market portals," Haddadin said.
Jordan is the world's eighth largest producer of olive oil, exporting its product to several countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the US.
This season's olive oil production is expected to amount to 35,536 tonnes, compared to 26,929 tonnes last year, according to the ministry.
The average per capita consumption of olive oil in Jordan stands at about 3.43 kilogrammes per year, and the country's overall annual consumption stands at about 21,773 tonnes.
A total of 125 olive oil presses are spread across the country, especially in the central and northern regions, with an investment volume exceeding JD200 million, according to figures from the Union of Olive Press Owners and Olive Producers.
Official figures indicate that there are around 20 million olive trees in Jordan, with average exports worth JD20 million per year.
[Source: Zawya.com]
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