AMMAN — A recent dialogue forum has
called for establishing a special media strategy for agricultural extension, the
practice of integrating scientific research and new knowledge into
agricultural practices through farmer education, Al-Ghad News reported.
اضافة اعلان
The forum, which was launched by Minister
of Agriculture Khaled Al-Huneifat on Tuesday at the Dead Sea and concluded its
activities on Wednesday, brought together representatives of the private sector,
media institutions, and experts, with the aim of developing a digital mechanism
for agricultural extension.
The participants recommended that the media
strategy for
agricultural extension, also known as agricultural advisory
services, build the capacities of workers in the agricultural sector, and
encourage them via social media to create a database including all the content
needed by agricultural extension workers and farmers.
They also recommended establishing a “real
partnership” between the agricultural extension sector and the private sector
to develop clear plans for transmitting modern farming techniques to farmers via
extension tools.
Ministry strategies for 2023During the forum, Huneifat confirmed the
intention of the Ministry of Agriculture benefit from the services of private
sector companies to continue to develop agricultural extension in the coming
year.
Agricultural extension provides a link
between the ministry and farmers, he said, noting the plans of the ministry to
make a “quantum leap” in the sector early in 2023 by providing agricultural
extension directorates with about 240 devices and 450 tablets to achieve
vertical and horizontal communication with and among farmers.
The ministry is also
aiming to automate its
services next year and adopt flexible working hours, he said.
Through the ministry’s water harvesting
program, 63 farm dams and harvesting pits were excavated in 2022 and were filled
to 70 percent during the recent rainy depression, Huneifat said, highlighting
the ministry’s plans to raise the number of farm dams and harvesting pits to
100 next year.
Climate change has taken a toll on Jordan’s harvests
due to poor rainfall and the drying up of several dams, the minister noted.
The ministry responds to climate-related challenges via two response axes:
expanding water harvesting and water-saving projects to mitigate the effects of
climate change and providing alternative energy loans for projects and
industries.
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