Government officials in Jordan say they hope to resume fruit and vegetable exports to neighbouring Saudia Arabia after the countries agreed new rules aimed at lifting a ban on Jordanian fresh produce.
Jordan's Minister of Agriculture Mazen Khassawneh told reporters he hoped shipments to Saudi Arabia would resume 'as soon as possible' after receiving assurances from his Saudi counterparts that everything would be done to restore access.
'The resumption of vegetable exports to the Saudi market is being followed up with utmost attention and at the highest levels for the mutual benefit of all parties to the production and marketing processes in the two sister countries,' he said.
In August this year, Jordan's Ministry of Agriculture provided Saudi officials with full details of its agricultural certification set-up, as well as results of pesticide and mineral surveys carried out by the Jordan Food and Drugs Administration.
According to Mr Khassawneh, these showed Jordanian vegetables were 'free of any microbes or pesticide contaminants'.
As part of the new agreement, a Saudi technical team is due to visit Jordan in order to carry out further assessment of Jordan's fruit and vegetable safety and quality systems.
