Agreements aimed at supporting the employment of Jordanians in the agricultural sector are opening new opportunities to increase local workforce participation, particularly among women and residents of agricultural areas. However, their success in reducing reliance on foreign labor will depend on their ability to address long-standing challenges that have limited the sector’s appeal.
اضافة اعلان
Seasonal production, low wages, high transportation costs, demanding working conditions and limited social protection are among the main factors affecting young people’s and women’s willingness to enter and remain in agricultural jobs.
Experts say turning these opportunities into sustainable jobs requires improving working conditions, ensuring regular wage payments and social security coverage, providing safe transportation, training and occupational safety measures, as well as monitoring workers’ retention after government support ends. Such measures would strengthen the stability of the local workforce and link agricultural investment to sustainable development in targeted areas.
The Ministry of Labour recently signed two agreements with Millennium Agricultural Investments and Safe Food for Food Industries to support the employment of 171 Jordanian men and women in the agricultural and food sectors, with a focus on increasing female employment.
Under the first agreement, the employment of 121 Jordanians at Millennium Agricultural Investments in Wadi Araba will be supported for one year through the National Workforce Support Program. The initiative aims to create new jobs and increase women’s participation in the labor market through additional incentives for female employment.
The second agreement aims to support the employment of 50 Jordanians at Safe Food for Food Industries at the Developmental Agricultural Industries Complex in the Southern Jordan Valley, in Karak Governorate. Their wages will be supported for three years, with priority given to residents of the area, in an effort to reduce unemployment and capitalize on employment opportunities created by agricultural and food investments.
Under the two agreements, the ministry’s Vocational and Technical Education, Training and Skills Development Support Fund will provide financial support in accordance with approved regulations. The support covers 50% of the minimum wage, a JD25 transportation allowance and a JD25 monthly social security contribution for each worker.
The agreements also require the two companies to provide training and qualification programs, conclude written employment contracts, enroll workers in social security and comply with labor legislation, while ensuring that jobs remain sustainable after the support period ends.
Mahmoud Al-Oran, head of the General Federation of Jordanian Farmers, welcomed any efforts to replace foreign workers with local labor in the agricultural sector. He stressed the importance of creating job opportunities for residents of agricultural areas in line with the sector’s social role.
He said the nature and seasonal character of agricultural work pose challenges to attracting local workers, but the presence of food-processing industries can change this equation by providing more stable and sustainable employment opportunities.
Workers seek a fixed monthly income, social security, health insurance and job security, he said, stressing the importance of providing these requirements and adhering to the minimum wage for less-qualified workers, including those who have not completed secondary education.
Providing these benefits to residents of targeted areas represents a positive indicator, Al-Oran said, expressing hope for stronger cooperation to achieve sustainable development, particularly in the food-processing sector.
He also stressed the importance of supporting transportation services to ensure the continued operation of factories by facilitating the movement of products from other production areas, particularly after the agricultural season ends in the Jordan Valley. This would help maintain production and employment opportunities throughout the year.
For his part, Workers’ House President Hamada Abu Najma said young people’s and women’s reluctance to work in agriculture is not due to a weak work ethic or unwillingness to work, but rather to working conditions and the sector’s ability to provide adequate income, job stability and social protection.
He said low wages, high or unreliable transportation costs, seasonal and physically demanding work, and inadequate safety conditions are among the factors that make job seekers hesitant to accept available opportunities.
Abu Najma said restoring the appeal of agricultural work begins with improving working conditions, providing safe and decent transportation, and addressing challenges facing women, including childcare, so that work in the sector becomes economically viable and capable of providing a reliable source of income.
He described the two agreements as a positive step toward supporting employment, while stressing the importance of monitoring whether workers remain in their jobs after government support ends. He also called for ensuring that government support translates into better incomes and working conditions through clear contracts, regular wages, social security coverage and training programs that develop skills and improve wages.
He pointed to the Ministry of Labour’s responsibility to monitor companies and inspect workplaces, verify compliance with safety requirements and protection against risks related to heat, pesticides and the nature of agricultural work, as well as facilitate the submission and handling of complaints.
He also stressed the importance of listening to workers to understand why they leave their jobs and working with relevant authorities to address transportation and social protection challenges, particularly in seasonal employment, in order to strengthen local workforce stability and ensure sustainable job opportunities in the agricultural sector.
Source: Al-Ghad
