Irbid, Dec. 7 (Petra) – The government continued, through its ministries and institutions, to provide in-kind and financial support to productive families and small projects through programs aimed at economically empowering these groups, bolstering local production and creating new job opportunities.

The government worked to market the products of productive families and small-project owners by holding temporary exhibitions that helped support and empower them economically by providing platforms to sell their products and expand their customer base, in addition to offering direct and indirect job opportunities.

The idea of marketing was later developed through the establishment of exhibition complexes where agricultural, rural and homemade products are displayed throughout the year.

The exhibition complex, the Permanent Exhibition for Agricultural and Rural Products in Irbid, is, according to stakeholders who spoke to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), a realistic model of government efforts in this area. The complex was built on an area of 4,500 square meters and is expected to open in the coming period to serve the governorates of the northern region and to provide a permanent space for marketing rural and agricultural family products and empowering them economically.

The executive director of the Irbid Development Corporation, Monther Bataineh, said the permanent exhibition complex for agricultural and rural products was set up next to King Abdullah II Gardens and consists of three floors at a cost exceeding 3 million dinars. It includes halls for displaying products, a designated space for productive kitchens, an outdoor theater, a corner for selling products, meeting rooms and other service facilities, and serves all segments of the local community.

The complex was established in cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Irbid Development Foundation, the Irbid Governorate Council, and the Greater Irbid Municipality, with a contribution from the Royal Hashemite Court.

Bataineh added that the permanent exhibition forms a lasting gateway for farmers and owners of productive projects to market their products and contributes to providing jobs and economically and commercially empowering productive families and small-project owners. He noted that these exhibitions will be held for these groups throughout the year and that they constitute an important outlet for product marketing.

For his part, the director of the Agriculture Directorate in Irbid Governorate, Abdel-Hafez Abu Orabi, said the permanent exhibition will become a marketing, tourism and cultural outlet during agricultural seasons.

Abu orabi explained that temporary agricultural festivals, such as the pomegranate and olive festivals, succeeded in marketing products and providing job opportunities, but they suffer from the short duration of their events and the closeness of their seasons. He noted that establishing permanent festivals and exhibitions will bring a change to the outlook of productive families, as it will allow them to display their products throughout the year rather than only during festival days, helping to generate direct and indirect job opportunities for these families.

He pointed out that temporary festivals in Irbid have helped stimulate economic activity in the city and have benefited various sectors. He stressed that if these festivals are held on a permanent basis, the impact will be positive for all sectors, including commerce, transport, tourism and others, throughout the year.

Abu Orabi noted that the Ministry of Agriculture will continue to promote the exhibition for agricultural and rural products by introducing a new vision and multiple marketing mechanisms to make it a sustainable exhibition that provides additional job opportunities, particularly in logistics. He added that productive families will expand their output to ensure continuity throughout the year, and the offerings will not be limited to olives and pomegranates but will later include other products such as citrus fruit, guavas and wheat.

For his part, the mayor of Greater Irbid Municipality, Imad Al-Azzam, said the municipality, in cooperation with the Irbid Governorate Council and the Irbid Development Foundation, supports and contributes to any project aimed at economically and commercially empowering productive families and small-project owners. He noted that the exhibition will highlight local products and will serve as a year-round permanent exhibition for agricultural products, particularly olives, pomegranates and their derivatives.

Al-Azzam pointed out that the government follows a policy of supporting agricultural and rural productive-family projects and small projects through numerous programs, a matter that enables these families economically, strengthens their role in local production, and contributes to providing job opportunities, especially among young men and women.

Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan on Sunday visited the permanent exhibition for agricultural and rural products, where construction and preparations have been completed. It will be opened soon to serve farmers and owners of productive projects in Irbid and neighboring governorates.

//Petra// AF