Dr. Nizar Haddad, the Director General of the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), met with a group of olive farmers from Al Hashmyeh, Ajloun. During the meeting, Dr. Nezar affirmed that the historical Mehras olive trees in the Al Mayser district of Al Hashmyeh are a valuable national asset, as they are among the oldest olive tree genotypes in the Mediterranean.
The purpose of this meeting was to inform farmers about the challenges facing the olive sector in Jordan, in accordance with the royal vision for economic modernization, through the national plan projects for sustainable development undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture.
“ The genome mapping of Meharas revealed that it shares a distant ancestor with olive trees found in Italy, Spain, and Cyprus.” Dr. Haddad mentioned. “ Mehras is an ancient origin that has endured through the ages, and its genetic footprint demonstrates the rich and distinctive genetic diversity among genetic olive cultivars in the Mediterranean region”, he added, in addition to the genetic characteristics with significant implications for its capacity to adapt to climatic changes and harsh environments while maintaining the quality of distinctive oil .
Dr. Haddad noted that cultural heritage, in Ajloun, distinguishes three types of olive trees according to size,” Oud”, non-perennial trees, “Karud” a name given to the medium size perennial, while Mehrasis is the large perennial olive that needs three men’s arms to enclose. The World Gene Bank requires that local names be given to the whole genome or a symbol that distinguishes them from the rest of the input.
On the other hand, NARC seeks to strengthen the comparative advantage in the economic value chain of olive trees, their oil and products, and their employment in agro-ecotourism, highlighting the importance of networking with farmers’ field schools at NARC and the establishment of a cooperative association specializing in olive fields for the people of the region since the existence of such an association will enhance the success.
The findings of the experiments showed that the oil rate in the fruits of Mehras’ olives was up to 30%, one of the highest for olive kinds in the world, according to Dr. Salam Ayyub, head of the horticultural research department at NARC. With a high oleic acid ratio of 70%, the oil has a specific mix of fatty acids that is consistent with global types. The Mehras oil in particular also has special sensory qualities and a fruity flavor.
In her remarks, , Tala Momani, The Jordan HortiFuture Project’s Project Manager, expressed her satisfaction with NARC’s research and scientific accomplishments, highlighting the significance of olive oil exporting as a highly competitive industry that will develop a niche market globally if farmers learn the value of pre- and post-oil practices that will result in high-quality olive oil. While protecting the heritage of the trees, will increase the opportunities and advantages for small farmers who own ancient olive trees.
The Jordan HortiFuture project is funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and implemented by Mercy Corps in collaboration with Advance Consulting and Wageningen University & Research (WUR), conducted Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) training sessions targeting 50 smallholder farmers in Ajloun and Irbid around the topics of preservation, management, productivity, and permaculture. The National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) developed the curriculum for the 6-day training to address improving post-harvesting techniques, and improving the productivity of olive trees. The Jordan HortiFuture Project in collaboration with NARC will put efforts into promoting nature-inclusive agriculture in the targeted areas in Jordan. At the end of the meeting, NARC distributed insect traps and fruit-picking boxes to many olive oil farmers that participated in the GAP training and olive trees farmers from the field schools.
