Amman, Sept. 15 (Petra) -- Participants at the Arab East Conference for Agricultural Exports on Tuesday called for greater regional integration, expanded markets, and stronger agricultural supply chains to boost exports and enhance food security.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, held under the theme "One Agricultural Power, Borderless Markets," Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khreisat said regional cooperation is increasingly important amid changes in global agricultural trade, intensifying competition, and rising requirements for quality, safety, traceability, and sustainability.

He stressed the need to link agricultural production with processing, farmers with exporters, and exports with storage, cold-chain facilities, border crossings, ports, and wider supply chains.

Khreisat said Jordan’s geographic location provides an economic and logistical advantage for connecting its agricultural exports and Levantine production with regional and international markets, adding that export growth requires competitive products, consistent quality and supply, and efficient transportation and marketing.

He noted that Jordanian vegetable and fruit exports rose 18.6% during the first eight months of 2026 to about 448,000 tons, compared with 378,000 tons during the same period last year. Vegetable exports increased 19.1%, while fruit exports rose 17.8%.

The minister said the growth reflects confidence in the competitiveness of Jordan’s agricultural sector and highlights the need to expand value-added production and diversify export markets.

He also stressed that agricultural exports should be developed alongside food security, calling for a shift from exporting products to exporting value through food processing, grading, packaging, storage, cooling, traceability, and branding.

Khreisat expressed hope that the conference would produce practical and sustainable cooperation by facilitating information exchange, connecting producers with buyers, identifying investment and export opportunities, addressing logistical and regulatory challenges, and developing new partnerships.

Mazen Hamarneh, Chair of the Jordan Exporters and Producers Association for Fruits and Vegetables, called for stronger regional integration in agricultural production and marketing to expand market opportunities and open new markets for Jordanian products.

He said the association seeks to establish partnerships with neighboring countries to absorb Jordan’s agricultural production, stressing that relations should be based on integration rather than competition. He also commended government support for efforts to access new European markets.

Lebanese Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani said agricultural integration in the Levant has become a strategic necessity amid global changes, disrupted supply chains, and growing food, water, energy, and climate challenges.

He called for reactivating the quadrilateral agricultural cooperation agreement between Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria and transforming it into a practical action program with defined projects, timelines, responsibilities, and measurable outcomes.

Hajj Hassan said Lebanon is ready to contribute to an integrated Arab Levant agricultural framework through exchanging expertise and products, facilitating trade and transportation, promoting joint investment, and coordinating production seasons and capacities.

Palestinian Agriculture Minister Rizq Salimiyah, speaking via videoconference, said a Levant agricultural framework should move beyond geographic terminology and become a practical initiative based on shared resources, human capital, production capabilities, and complementary comparative advantages.

He called for replacing the traditional approach, under which each country seeks to secure its food supply independently, with a more sustainable model based on regional food integration and collective food security.

Syrian Deputy Agriculture Minister Mohammad Miqdadi highlighted the challenges facing agricultural supply chains and affirmed Syria’s readiness to cooperate with regional partners, expressing hope that the conference would produce recommendations serving as a road map for the agricultural sector.

//Petra// AJ