Horticultural Industry in Jordan: Past, Present, and Future
2009
Qrunfleh, Mostafa M. (The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan), E-mail: [email protected]
Jordan is one of the Middle East countries, located to the east of the Mediterranean Sea. The topographic feature of the country is variable with elevations from 400 m below sea level up to 1200m above enabling Jordan to grow diverse horticultural crops. In the past, Jordan horticultural industry (JHI) was of minor economic importance as only rainfed horticulture was adopted. Accordingly, until the late sixties, Jordan was self-insufficient. At present, irrigated horticulture (IH) which depends mainly on underground water and dams is prominent. In addition, IH is based on production of diverse horticultural crops enabling the country to be self-sufficient and an exporter. This shift in production is attributed to the vast expansion in IH as 84,000 ha was developed in the Jordan Valley and in the highland, extensive production of off-season vegetable crops, and adoption of modern horticulture technology. The future of JHI is not as bright as its present due to limited water resources. Efforts by the government for exploring new water resources are continuous.
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