Irbid, Oct. 12 (Petra) – The Irbid Agriculture Directorate announced on Sunday that the 17th Annual Pomegranate and Rural Products Festival will be held from October 23 to 25 at the Arabella Mall courtyard.

Head of the Directorate Abdel Hafith Abu Orabi said the location was chosen after the permanent exhibition venue for agricultural and rural products at King Abdullah Gardens was deemed unavailable, as it has not yet been officially handed over and remains unprepared to host any exhibitions until completion and delivery.

Abu Orabi said the festival will feature 350 participants, including 100 farmers, alongside women managing productive kitchens, traditional food vendors, and artisans offering a variety of handmade crafts.

He noted that pomegranate cultivation in Irbid covers an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 dunums, producing between 6,000 and 8,000 tonnes annually, mostly concentrated in the Bani Kenana and Koura districts.

For his part, President of the Cooperative Kufrsoum Agricultural for Pomegranate Producers, Ahed Obeidat, said the festival provides a valuable opportunity to promote the benefits of pomegranates and their products, which include up to 16 varieties such as Turkish delight, molasses, vinegar, jam, soap, perfumes, pomegranate peels, seeds, and oil all produced by hand and naturally, with significant medicinal and therapeutic value.

Obeidat stressed that pomegranate farmers from Kufrsoum have been a key part of the festival since its inception, contributing greatly to its success and continuity in cooperation with the Irbid Agriculture Directorate. He added that Kufrsoum alone produces around 3,000 tonnes of pomegranates annually.

//Petra// AF