Signing cooperation memorandum between the University of Jordan and the Agricultural Engineers Association and the National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension to promote the Jordanian olive sector

The University of Jordan signed a cooperation agreement together with the Agricultural Engineers Association or the National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension. The agreement promotes the society responsibilities to build capacity of workers in the olive industry so as to improve the quality of the Jordanian olive oil. The agreements were signed by Dr. Azmi Mahafazah, the president of UJ and Eng. Mahmoud Abu Ghonaima, the president of the Agricultural Engineers Association, and the Dr. Fawzi Al Sheyab, the Director General of National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension.

In his speech, Dr. Mahafazah stressed that the University of Jordan supports all efforts that provide assistance to the local community in all its forms in cooperation with all official and community institutions. He stressed that the sole of the agreement is to develop the Jordanian olive sector and promote it through the dissemination the culture of good-dealing with olives and olive oil, from the farm to the consumers.

For his part, Abu Ghoneima pointed out that raising the qualifications of the Jordanian engineers and agricultural cadres in the field of olive and olive oil, and providing accurate scientific opinion to contribute in the advancement of the Jordanian olive sector are priorities sought by the association. Abu Ghoneima pointed out that the association pays special attention to the Jordanian olive harvests because of its economic importance to the Jordanian farmer where many families depend on it as the sources of income in addition to its importance in the social occasions and because it considered a traditional food of high nutritional value and the great health benefits to the consumers.

The agreement stated that the items of cooperation are in the fields of training agricultural engineers and olive farmers on production, operations, insect and pest control, olives pickling technology, establishing olive sensory evaluation teams, and distribution of awareness and education. It is noteworthy that the project “Capacity building of personnel in Jordanian olive industry” started in December of 2013 and was supported by the European Union as a Tempus project.​

Olive Pickles Workshop/ BAU

The project "Capacity Building of Personnel in Jordanian Olive Industry" and in cooperation with Al-Hosn College, one of the project partners, set up a workshop on the manufacture of olive pickles at Al-Husn University College /BAU in 20/10/2014. Dr. Radwan Ajo, the project representative at Al-Husn College, welcomed the guests and presented the achievements of the project according to the planned program. Then Dr. Ali Al-Saed gave a simple presentation about the project and its achievements, and then he gave a lecture about the theoretical aspects of the pickling process and good the manufacturing practices.

Dr. Radwan Ajo presented a lecture on sensory evaluation of olives. Dr. Taha Rababah presented a lecture on the practical aspects of picking green olives. The workshop was concluded by the lecture of Engineer Noman Malkawi from the "Durra Food Company" on which he briefed about the methods of pickling of black olives and the factors affecting the process of pickling.

Course on Sensory Evaluation of Olive Oil in cooperation with the Association of Agricultural Engineers / Irbid Branch

The project "Capacity Building of Personnel in Jordanian Olive Industry” and in cooperation with the Association of Agricultural Engineers in Irbid Branch held a course on the sensory evaluation of olive oil and olives on 22/12/2014. Engineer Ghassan Al-Momani, the head of the association welcomed the project team and highlighted the achievement and cooperation between Association of Agricultural Engineers/ Irbid branch and project.

The course started with a highlighting the achievements and olive related workshops that were held at the level of the Kingdom. Then Dr. Ali Al-Saad, the project coordinator, gave a lecture on the positive and negative attributes of olive oil. Then Dr. Radwan Ajou gave a lecture on the positive and negative attributes of table olives. The theoretical part was followed by practical training on presentations of both positive and negative attributes of table olives and olive oil. The course concluded by distribution of attendance certificates to the trainees and thankful certificates to the lecturers.

A joint workshop between the project of capacity building of personnel in Jordanian olive industry and the Agricultural Engineers Syndicate / Ramtha Branch

 The project “Capacity Building of Personnel in Jordanian Olive Industry” in collaboration with the Association of Agricultural Engineers/ Ramtha Branch held a day-long course (16/4/2016) to introduce the bases for sensory evaluation of olive oil. Dr. Ali Al-Saed "Project Coordinator "Explain the basics of sensory evaluation of olive oil”. Dr. Taha Rababaa and Dr. Radwan Ajo gave briefing about positive attributes and other smells that affect the olive oil attributes. The workshop ended by presenting attendance certificates to the trainees and fruitful discussion about the situation of table olives and olive oil in Jordan

Selection of trainees of the project of capacity building of personnel in Jordanian olive industry

One of the outcomes of completion sensory evaluation workshops in 2015 and 2016 and three workshops in the field of olive and olive oil as main activities of the project “Capacity Building of Personnel in Jordanian Olive Industry”" a group of trainees showed interest to be among sensory evaluation team. For this they have to complete a course on sensory evaluation workshop at the Ministry of Agriculture/ Jordan them they have to pass a secondary evaluation exam in JSMO/ Jordan. Within the sensory evaluation workshop of the project, olive oil specifications and standards were addressed together with the use of the laboratory to prepare and test the samples for trainees. The project team is thankful for all those who contributed and helped in this achievement, especially the Olive Directorate at the Ministry of Agriculture/ Amman/ Jordan.

The Faculty of Agriculture at JUST hosted the five-day training workshop for olive growers' trainers (23-27 October 2016) under the auspices of the JUST and UJ. The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at JUST, Dr. Kamel Zuhdi, said during the opening of the workshop: This project aims to bridge the gap between the academic side and the practical aspect in the field of olive production and processing as it is one of the promising industrial sectors which has witnessed rapid development in recent years in various technical, technological, quality aspects, specifications and volume of production and exportation. This contributed in the promotion of Jordanian olive products and highlights Jordan as a regional center distinct in this area.

The workshop aims to train olive growers' trainers in various governmental institutions in the north, including JUST, to identify and control olive diseases, modern systems of olive growing and insect pests, and their agricultural operations for olives by training them on local and international experts.

Dr. Taha Al-Raba'a, project representative at JUST and Faculty member of the Faculty of Agriculture, said that the project aims at continuing to improve the olive industry in Jordan by studying the latest technological means and exchanging experiences among all partners in the project and enhancing cooperation opportunities between Jordanian universities and the local community.

Attending a symposium on the olive sector in Jordan

On Wednesday, 16/11/2016, Dr. Ghadeer Mehyar (the new project Coordinator) and Eng. Abdul Salam Al-Najjar presented as representatives of the project “Capacity Building of Personnel in Jordanian Olive Industry" to attend symposium about Jordanian Olive sector and Industry, which was organized by the Jordanian Society for Scientific Research. During the symposium, the issues and problems of olive sector in Jordan were discussed in terms of production, marketing and applied scientific research. The symposium was attended by a number of agricultural engineers, farmers and interested people from both the public and private sectors. Al Ain Al Khawalda advised people to use the geographical indicator for olive in Jordan, stressing on the importance of strategic work for the olive sector in the future. He stressed on the importance of finding a database of olive oil and olives in Jordan, through which we can obtain accurate figures about the amount of production, annual increase in areas planted with olive. He highlighted the disadvantages and advantages of using the good production practices in the Jordanian olive sector as it is the largest and represents the cornerstone of Jordanian food security. He said that the statement of the government of Dr. Hani al-Mulqi, submitted to the House of Representatives talked about agriculture adequately and lay the real foundations necessary to maintain and promote this important sector. He added that the responsibility is shared and must be on other sectors of farmers and union and producers and exporters. Dr. Ghadeer Mehyar gave a short presentation about the project.

For his part, the President of the Jordanian Association of Exporters of Olive Products, Mr. Fayyad Zayoud, said that the value of the historical olive in Jordan is greater than its material value. He pointed out that Jordan annually produces between 25 and 30 thousand tons of oil and that the price of olive oil in Jordan is high compared to other countries. He added that our production of oil is weak due to poor agricultural practices, despite the presence of 20 million olive trees in Jordan and 128 presses in Jordan, calling for the importance of selecting the appropriate olive varieties to grow and the importance of the public sector, universities and scientific research centers and the National Center for Extension Research, Of scientific research in the colleges of agriculture in Jordanian universities.

During the discussion, the attendees highlighted the need for the existence of specialists and experts specialized in olives and the identification of olive varieties and to move away from agriculture in lands with a rainfall of less than 300 millimeters, pointing out that there are agricultural land has been disabled by olive cultivation, although it may be suitable and productive varieties other agricultural products better than olive and in competitive quantities. And that there is neglect and shortening of the competent authorities of the olive tree, especially that more than 70 percent of the olive trees depend on rainwater and 30 percent of them irrigated.​