Amman, June 23 (Petra) -- Agriculture Minister Saeb Khraisat and Director General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) Naser Eddin Al Obaid on Tuesday discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and advance development projects supporting Jordan's agricultural sector.
Talking at the meeting held at the Agriculture Ministry's heaquarters, Khraisat highlighted the ministry's "strategic" partnership with ACSAD, stressing the center's role in supporting "sustainable" agricultural development through research and applied projects and the transfer of modern technologies.
He said these efforts contribute to enhancing food security and improving "efficiency" of natural resource use, particularly amid climate change challenges and water scarcity.
He underscored the ministry's commitment to expanding scientific and technical cooperation with ACSAD in livestock improvement and development, and combating the red palm weevil using advanced scientific practices.
In this context, he said the ministry would strengthen the National Seed Bank's role in preserving plant genetic resources, and implement water harvesting, rangeland management and crop productivity projects.
For his part, Al Obeid reviewed ACSAD's key projects in Jordan, describing the Kingdom as a "model partner" due to the implementation of specialized initiatives in rangeland development, water management, land reclamation and the development of drought-tolerant crop varieties, in addition to capacity-building, training and knowledge-transfer programs.
He said ACSAD is "keen to broaden" cooperation with the ministry in the coming period through new projects aimed at addressing the impacts of climate change, promoting sustainable agricultural development and enhancing the resilience of the agricultural sector in line with government priorities and the Economic Modernization Vision.
The two sides agreed to continue coordination on agricultural programs and projects and strengthen technical and scientific cooperation to improve natural resource management, support food security and advance sustainable development.
//Petra// NQ
