Balqa, June 3 (Petra) - The National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) officially launched 39 pioneering research projects for the 2026 cycle Wednesday, following final approvals from the center’s scientific committee. This comprehensive initiative is strategically designed to accelerate agricultural innovation, optimize resource management, and drive sustainable development across the Kingdom's farming sectors.

NARC Director General Dr. Ibraheem Al-Rawashdeh emphasized that this extensive portfolio reflects the center's institutional commitment to directing scientific research toward climate-adaptive, smart solutions. By integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital agriculture tools, and integrated natural resource management, the projects aim to optimize water-use efficiency, build resilient production systems, and equip smallholders with advanced agritech capabilities. Al-Rawashdeh added that investing in human research capital is vital to fostering applied knowledge that delivers tangible socioeconomic impacts, stimulates creativity among researchers, and generates practical solutions capable of transforming the sector.

The newly approved research tracks establish an advanced framework for agricultural technology transfer, food security enhancement, and public-private-academic partnerships. This approach aligns directly with national sustainable development goals (SDGs) to boost the regional and global competitiveness of Jordan's agricultural output.

The approved projects span a diverse array of specialized technical disciplines, ranging from enhancing crop productivity and developing plant varieties capable of enduring harsh environmental conditions to optimizing water resource management and mitigating plant pests and diseases. Furthermore, the portfolio includes specialized studies in livestock production, artificial insemination networks, and the preservation of indigenous plant and animal genetic resources. The research also leverages advanced biotechnologies and agricultural intelligence to maximize production efficiency, deploys modern cultivation systems, utilizes agricultural and animal waste byproducts, and conducts analytical macro-studies on climate change variables and their structural impacts on local agricultural sub-sectors.

NARC noted that these projects will be executed by specialized, multidisciplinary research teams in close coordination with national institutions and public-private sector stakeholders, anchoring scientific research as a primary driver for national economic development and sustainable agricultural growth.

//Petra// AA