Jerash — Jerash Governorate is preparing for the start of the olive-picking and olive-oil pressing season, with 15 licensed olive presses set to begin operations next Thursday. Production is expected to rise by 20% compared with last season, bringing renewed expectations for farmers, families and seasonal workers involved in harvesting and pressing. The season is one of the governorate’s most significant agricultural, economic and social events.
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Preparations began early across Jerash, as farmers started gathering the equipment needed for harvesting, including sheets spread beneath trees to collect olives, ladders for reaching higher branches, baskets and picking tools. They are also arranging seasonal labor for the coming weeks to ensure the olives are harvested and transported to presses on time.
Jerash Agriculture Director Dr. Ola Al-Mahasneh said the season brings hopes of abundant production, with output expected to increase by 20% from last year. Olive fruit production is forecast to reach approximately 60,000 tonnes, while olive oil production is expected to total around 11,400 tonnes. An additional 3,000 tonnes of olives are expected to be allocated for pickling and brining.
These projections highlight the season’s importance to Jerash’s agricultural sector. Olive cultivation covers an estimated 132,000 dunums in the governorate, and olive trees are central to agricultural activity and a source of income for many families. These include both orchard owners and those who rely on seasonal work in harvesting, collecting, transporting, sorting and pickling olives.
As part of preparations, the Jerash Agriculture Directorate conducted inspection tours of the governorate’s 15 licensed olive presses to assess their readiness and compliance with public health and safety requirements. Al-Mahasneh confirmed that the presses are ready to begin operating as scheduled next Thursday.
She explained that the tours are part of the inspection and guidance measures carried out before the pressing season. They aim to ensure that operational and safety requirements are met and that suitable conditions are in place to receive farmers’ crops, given the importance of olive presses in turning agricultural produce into oil of significant economic and nutritional value for households and consumers.
Monitoring tree conditions
Al-Mahasneh said preparations extend beyond equipping presses and gathering tools to include monitoring the condition of olive trees and controlling pests that could affect production volumes and fruit quality.
Farmer Nidal Al-Ayasra said the season begins with practical preparations before farmers head to their fields. Harvesting requires equipment and supplies, work schedules and seasonal labor suited to the number of trees and expected crop volumes. Farmers must also arrange transportation to the presses to prevent olives from piling up and being pressed late.
With the opening of the presses approaching, preparations are focused on completing the arrangements needed for an orderly start. The expected increase in production will mean greater demand for workers and more time to complete harvesting, as well as a need to organize the receipt of olives at the presses according to the quantities arriving during the peak of the season.
Al-Ayasra said olive presses are a key link in the production chain, as oil quality and the safety of extraction procedures depend on proper handling of the fruit—from harvesting and transportation to temporary storage, pressing and preserving the resulting oil. These practices become even more important when a larger crop is expected, requiring cooperation among farmers, press owners and other workers to ensure the harvest is handled properly.
In this context, the Agriculture Directorate has conducted around 150 awareness and agricultural guidance campaigns benefiting approximately 500 farmers. The campaigns covered olive-tree care, seasonal preparations, pest management and sound agricultural practices.
The directorate also carried out pest-control spraying across nearly 5,000 dunums of olive groves to limit the spread of insects that could affect the crop and protect the trees and expected production.
As part of its monitoring and pest-control programs, the directorate distributed around 6,000 insect traps across approximately 12,000 dunums of olive-growing land. It also distributed 4,000 colored traps used to monitor signs of pests and insects across nearly 8,000 dunums.
These measures provide farmers and agricultural teams with tools to monitor field conditions, identify signs of pest activity and respond as needed, helping protect the crop and improve the prospects of a good harvest. The guidance campaigns also help farmers better understand when to intervene and how to protect trees and fruit throughout the different stages of the season.
The importance of preventive measures
These efforts underscore the importance of preventive action before harvesting begins. A successful season is measured not only by production volumes, but also by fruit quality, the efficiency of collection, transportation and pressing, and farmers’ ability to manage their crops in ways that reduce losses and preserve oil quality.
Farmer Raed Al-Farhan said the expected increase in production is likely to boost activity in fields and olive presses, with greater demand for workers during the harvest period. Many families depend on this seasonal work for income. At this time of year, family members take part in various tasks, from collecting, sorting and packing olives to transporting them, reflecting how closely the olive season is tied to daily life in Jerash’s agricultural communities.
“The season is an economic opportunity that extends beyond orchard owners to seasonal workers, transportation services, packaging and storage supplies, as well as activities related to olive-oil production, pickling and marketing,” Al-Farhan said. “With the crop expected to increase, organizing work across all stages of production is essential to ensure that the anticipated abundance benefits farmers and others working in the sector.”
Farmer Ali Eid Al-Humaid said olives hold a special place in the lives of families in Jerash, whether through producing oil for household consumption and storage throughout the year or preparing olives for pickling, a staple on Jordanian tables.
He added that many farmers and families follow the season from its beginning, selecting fruit according to its intended use and determining harvest times based on tree conditions, the ripeness of the olives and their purpose.
The expected increase in production this year makes advance planning even more important, particularly when it comes to securing workers and supplies, coordinating transportation to olive presses and avoiding delays that could affect fruit and oil quality. The season also requires cooperation among farmers, press owners and agricultural authorities to keep operations running smoothly during peak periods, according to Al-Hajj Ali.
Meanwhile, production costs, the availability of seasonal labor and the organization of harvesting remain key concerns for farmers at the start of each season. Work extends across large areas of land, with requirements varying from one farm to another according to the number of trees, crop size and terrain. These demands make early preparation essential to reduce delays and make the most of the time available for harvesting and pressing.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Sabreen Al-Tuaimat
