AMMAN, Oct. 18 (Petra) – Jordan’s food manufacturing sector encompasses approximately 2,600 industrial enterprises with a registered capital of JOD 674 million (USD 950 million), providing over 66,500 direct jobs, according to the National Food Industry Strategy 2027–2029 released Sunday.

Drafted by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply in partnership with the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) and supported by economic reform programs, the strategy highlights that local food manufacturers meet over 62 percent of domestic market demand, generating an annual gross output of JOD 4.5 billion (USD 6.35 billion). Total value-added stands at JOD 1.8 billion (USD 2.54 billion), representing roughly 40 percent of overall production.

On the trade front, sector exports registered a 102 percent cumulative growth rate over the past five years, climbing to JOD 823 million in 2024 before reaching JOD 443 million during the first half of 2025. Today, Jordanian food products reach consumers across more than 109 countries.

The document noted geographic export concentration within neighboring regional markets, with Saudi Arabia and Iraq absorbing nearly 58 percent of total shipments among the top 10 destination markets between 2022 and 2025 (cumulative exports reached JOD 607 million to Saudi Arabia and JOD 482 million to Iraq).

Meanwhile, exports to the United States posted the highest surge among major foreign destinations, expanding 498 percent in 2025 with cumulative trade reaching JOD 98 million, signaling high-potential avenues in non-regional markets.

The strategy observed that the sector's primary operational hurdle lies in ensuring that ongoing expansion is backed by structural value-addition rather than volume-driven demand alone, calling for market diversification and deeper penetration across high-value global retail supply chains.

//Petra// AA