Irbid, Sept. 14 (Petra) -- Pomegranate harvesting is underway across Koura District, where some 2,000 dunums of orchards support both local farmers and a growing range of small-scale food and natural-product businesses.

Koura Agriculture Director Abdelilah Obeidat said Monday that the harvest, which began in the district’s warmer valleys, will continue through mid-December as fruit ripens at different times across the area.

Koura is one of the Kingdom’s main pomegranate-producing areas, with orchards concentrated along perennial waterways, particularly Wadi Ziglab, Wadi Abu Ziad and Wadi Al-Rayyan in Judaita.

Picking began first in Wadi Abu Ziad and Wadi Ziglab, where climatic conditions are similar to those of the Jordan Valley. The season runs later in Wadi Al-Rayyan, where harvesting is expected to continue until mid-December.

The district produces several pomegranate varieties, including Halawi, Hammadi, Laffani, Mawardi, Sharabi, Mawani and Ziqlabi.

The crop also feeds into a local processing industry that extends its economic value beyond the sale of fresh fruit.

Pomegranates grown in the area are used to produce natural juice, traditionally prepared molasses, vinegar and jam, as well as pomegranate seed oil, soap, peel powder, tea and nougat.

Obeidat said fresh fruit sales provide an important source of income for growers, while processing creates additional earning opportunities for productive families that manufacture pomegranate-based products.

Local farmers said agricultural extension programs offered by the Koura Agriculture Directorate have helped them improve orchard management and increase production.

The programs cover pruning and tree preparation, soil management and pest control, as well as cultivation methods designed to improve yields.

Growers said applying the guidance throughout the production cycle has helped them better protect their orchards from pests and adopt farming practices aimed at raising productivity.

//Petra// RZ