A publicly funded project to mechanize and process almonds in the Bani Kinanah district of Irbid Governorate has sat unused for years after equipment supplied for the project failed to meet required specifications, with some machinery now showing signs of rust.
اضافة اعلان
Almond cultivation is a vital agricultural activity in Bani Kinanah and across Irbid Governorate, but farmers face a recurring challenge when surplus production during peak seasons drives prices down, a problem the project was designed to address through better post-harvest processing.
Khaldoun Al-Zoubi, head of the Almond Growers Association, told Al-Ghad that the project has failed to meet its goals of supporting farmers and developing post-harvest and processing operations. He called for a full review of the equipment's supply and receiving process and clear accountability for what went wrong.
Rust and Idle Equipment Raise Concerns
Al-Zoubi said signs of rust have begun appearing on some of the unused equipment, raising the risk of further damage to a project meant to serve the agricultural sector. He said this raises questions about how the equipment was received, stored and maintained, and who bears responsibility for leaving it unused for so long.
Al-Zoubi said technical concerns have plagued the project since its early stages, including whether the equipment and production lines matched the required specifications, along with discrepancies in some equipment brands. Among the most striking findings, he said, was the discovery of three chicken pluckers among the delivered equipment, despite the project's purpose of supplying almond peeling machines and processing equipment.
Association Calls for Full Review of Project Records
The Almond Growers Association has called on relevant government and oversight bodies to fully open and review the project file, verify the integrity of the supply and receiving procedures, and confirm the equipment matches its intended technical specifications. The project was funded publicly through the Ministry of Agriculture, with the goal of supporting almond farmers and developing post-harvest processes including peeling, seed separation and byproduct use to increase the local product's value.
Al-Zoubi said the association took part, following established procedures, in a visit to China to inspect the machines before delivery, alongside representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the provincial agriculture director and relevant technical bodies. That visit produced a technical report flagging that the inspected machines were unsuitable for the project's purpose and did not meet its specifications.
Al-Zoubi said technical committees under the Ministry of Agriculture inspected the machines again after their arrival in Jordan, and official records show reservations and an initial refusal to accept them due to non-conformity, followed by warnings to the supplier and deadlines to correct the issues. He said technical concerns persisted through multiple project phases, and a final acceptance report, issued after a long delay, rejected some materials and machinery for non-compliance, indicating the tender might be reissued.
Al-Zoubi said leaving the equipment idle has not only prevented the project from meeting its goals but has also reduced the equipment's value over time as rust appears, potentially raising the cost of any future repair or rehabilitation. He said the matter is not a simple commercial dispute but involves publicly funded equipment meant to serve a broad group of almond farmers by lowering post-harvest costs and improving product quality.
Association Sees Opportunity in Processed Almond Products
Al-Zoubi said green almonds represent an underused economic opportunity, since some of the surplus that floods markets during peak season at low prices could instead be converted into processed products. He also raised the possibility of using almond waste to produce alternative animal feed, saying such projects could create direct and seasonal jobs while boosting related transport, marketing, packaging and services sectors.
The association said it is not seeking to obstruct or cancel the project, but wants the publicly funded equipment used for its intended purpose and the hangars built for it turned into productive facilities rather than storage for unused machinery. It called on the Ministry of Agriculture and oversight bodies to review the full project file, including tender documents, supply and financing agreements, technical specifications, committee records, the China inspection visit, warnings issued to the supplier, and final acceptance reports.
MP and Ministry Respond
Basem Rawabdeh, a member of parliament, confirmed he will follow up on the matter with the Ministry of Agriculture, and said he is awaiting an official response to questions he submitted through parliament regarding what happened with the project and whether the equipment complied with tender specifications.
Abdul Hafez Abu Arabi, director of the Irbid Governorate Agriculture Directorate, said the directorate is monitoring agricultural projects on the ground to ensure equipment meets specifications and can serve the sector long-term. He said the directorate raised concerns about the contractor's equipment directly at the work site, by phone and through an official letter, and referred the matter to relevant authorities.
Abu Arabi said the issue was discussed at a meeting held at the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation, with the contractor present, where officials emphasized the need to meet specifications and gave the contractor room to make necessary changes or replacements.
He said the goal was never simply to deliver equipment, but to ensure the acquisition of high-quality machinery capable of serving farmers for 10 to 15 years with regular maintenance, given that the project is valued at approximately 315,000 Jordanian dinars.
Abu Arabi confirmed that the supplied equipment did not conform to required specifications, which prevented the ministry from completing formal handover procedures. He said the Ministry of Agriculture has suspended all disbursements related to the project until the equipment's compliance with technical and administrative requirements is verified.
Source: Al-Ghad.
