Date palm investments in Jordan reach $500 million

A Palestinian worker harvests dates in the Jordan Valley village of Jiftlik in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on September 11, 2019. (File/AFP)

• The date palm cultivation covers an area of around 8,650 acres
• There is high demand in the local variant ‘medjool’ dates in international markets

DUBAI: Investments in the date palm industry have reached about $500 million, local daily The Jordan Times reported citing the Jordan Dates Association President Anwar Haddad.
The date palm cultivation covers an area of around 8,650 acres with about a total of 550,000 palms, he added.
Haddad also said Jordan’s palm sector has over 8,000 employees and women represent 35 percent of the workforce.
There is high demand in the local variant ‘medjool’ dates in international markets because of its ‘unique’ texture and digestibility, Haddad said.
Haddad also said the dates do not contain disaccharide, which is known for its strong impact on blood sugar. They contain high levels of potassium, phosphorus, vitamins, magnesium and manganese, he added.  
The date production season in the Kingdom begins at the end of the harvest season in the Gulf region, he said.