AMMAN: The Minister of Agriculture of Jordan, Khaled Hunaifat, announced on Sunday that the national agricultural exports have reached half a billion Jordanian dinars, reflecting a 25.3 percent increase by the end of May compared to the same period in 2023.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Hunaifat highlighted that the value of fruit and vegetable exports rose to JD125.5 million, a 22.3 percent increase from the beginning of the current year compared to the same period in 2023. This growth is attributed to the total exports of fruits and vegetables, which surged to 178,000 tonnes, marking a 32 percent increase until the end of May compared to 2023.

The minister said that the value of vegetable exports increased by 19 percent during the same period, due to the cumulative quantity of vegetable exports rising to 130,000 tonnes, a 27 percent increase until May, compared to 2023.

The value of fruit exports saw a significant rise of 29.5 percent, as the cumulative quantity of fruit exports reached 48,000 tonnes, a 48 percent increase compared to 2023.

Hunaifat also noted a remarkable increase in the value of live animal exports, which soared to JD44.2 million, a 259 percent increase until the end of May compared to last year. This rise is attributed to the cumulative export of live sheep, which reached 220,000 heads, reflecting a 260 percent increase compared to 2023.