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Jordan Agribusiness


Lead Institutions

New Mexico State University
Badia Research and Development Centre (BRDC)

Funding Agencies:

USAID/ANE
USAID/Amman, Jordan

Introduction:

After the close of the Yemen component, the New Mexico State University (NMSU) team transferred their attention to working in Jordan with the Badia Research and Development Centre (BRDC) to evaluate and make recommendations for agribusiness and extension work in Jordan.

The NMSU team consist of a group of people who are highly qualified to work the the officials and representatives from government agencies and other institutions. (pdf format)

Jordan is well known as one of the most arid regions in the world, with much of the country receiving less than 200 mm of annual rainfall. The arid nature of the country, with limited ground water reserves, and increasing water demands from growing domestic and industrial uses poses a challenge to the Jordanian government as leaders attempt to balance water demands between agriculture and other important uses. (pdf format)

With a land area of 91,971 square kilometers, a population of close to 6 million, a per capita GDP of nearly $3,000, and a real GPD growth rate of 6.4% (Jordan’s Department of Statistics, 2008), Jordan is a relatively small but prosperous Middle Eastern country. This prosperity, however, is increasingly threatened by the prospect of reduced water availability for its main economic growth sectors, namely manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants, transport, storage and communications, finance, real state, insurance and business services and construction. A significant share of this economic activity is in support of a thriving tourism industry. (pdf format)

Badia rangelands provide a significant portion of the domestically produced forage that sustains the range livestock industry. Sale of livestock and livestock products support an important sector of the economy and enable many rural communities to maintain a valued and traditional way of life. This report describes the results of a range improvement project that included several alternative water harvest techniques that concentrate rain-fed runoff water into a smaller area to allow forage shrub establishment and growth in the low rainfall Tal Rimah area of Jordan. In addition the project focused on appropriate grazing management for sustaining increased grazing. Tal Rimah is situated northwest of Safawi and about 70 km east of Al-Mafraq. The demonstration site chosen for the Tal Rimah range project encompasses about 50 hectares northeast of the village of Tal Rimah. (pdf format)

Since mid-2005, New Mexico State University (NMSU) has worked cooperatively with the Jordan Badia Research and Development Center (BRDC) and University of Arizona’s International Arid Lands Consortium (IALC). Part of the NMSU effort has been directed at assessing the profitability of the enterprises of two cooperatives that have been working closely with the BRDC. Earlier findings for the cooperatives were published in 2007. A dairy factory at the Tal Rimah Cooperative was found to be infeasible given existing markets and substantial resource costs.1(pdf format)

A project team of technical experts, building on the similarities between New Mexico and Jordan, partnered with a Bedouin tribe to demonstrate the feasibility of expanding the onion production practices and the market window for southern Jordan. (pdf format)

In 2008-09 we plan to build on the successful “Community Based Rangeland Rehabilitation Project” done by the Jordan Badia Research and Development Center (BRDC). BRDC plans to develop two additional rangeland restoration projects during the 2008-09 planning period. One will be located in the Bayir in eastern Jordan; one of the lowest rainfall zones in the country. The second project will be to rehabilitate a previous government rangeland project in the west of Ma’an. Both sites will present a challenge, but will serve as local demonstrations for best practices in rangeland management. (pdf format)

A report on the continuation of the work on the Cooperatives with the BRDC and IALC on the activities conducted at the Anaaeed Cooperative was submited by the New Mexico State University component and the BRDC. (pdf format)

Jim Libbin and Octavio Ramirez went to Israel and Jordan from June 28th until July 9th to meet with USAID representatives and then BRDC. They also toured farm areas and talked with farmers about their crops and how they market them. (pdf format)

During March of 2006, Jim Libbin, Rich Phillips, and Carlos Rosencrans went to Israel to meet with USAID representative Mike Martin about the Westbank/Gaza plans, but he said everything was on hold for the time being. They then travelled to Jordan to visit farms and talk with farmers and other representatives concerning the agribusiness project. (pdf format)

From September 16 - 30, 2005, Rich Phillips and Jim Libbin from the NMSU team traveled to Jordan to meet with BRDC and to get acquainted with other officials and representatives in Jordan. They also wanted to review what the people in Jordan were hoping to accomplish working with the NMSU team on agribusiness and extension. (pdf format). A list of contacts they made while on this trip are added as an appendix. (pdf format)

Rich Phillips and Jim Libbin submitted a final report on their trip to Israel to present a summary of the Yemen project to the IALC Technical Advisory Committee and then travelled to the Westbank and Amman, Jordan to get acquainted with the USAID official working on the Westbank/Gaza initiative and then they went to Amman, Jordan to work with USAID and the Badia Research and Development Centre. (pdf format)

The NMSU team traveled to Jordan to hold a planning session with the BRDC from November 29-30, 2005. They wanted to develop a full work plan, timeline, and budget for collaborative agribusiness and extension work and to strengthen the partnership between itself and the BRDC. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted Report #8 "Potential of Kochia Prostrata and Perennial Grasses for Rangeland Rehabilitation in Jordan." (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted Report #9 "The Jordan Bedouin Handicraft Weaving Company; A Feasibility Assessment of Job Creation for Jordanian Women." (pdf format)

 

Quarterly Reports

The NMSU team submitted their Final Report. It was prepared by Dr. William Gorman. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for April, May, June, 2009. It was prepared by Dr. William Gorman. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for January, February, March, 2009. It was prepared by Dr. William Gorman. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for October, November, December, 2008. It was prepared by Dr. William Gorman. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for July, August, September, 2008. It was prepared by Dr. William Gorman. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for April, May. June, 2008. It was prepared by Dr. Octavio Ramirez. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for January, February, March, 2008. It was prepared by Dr. Octavio Ramirez. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for October, November, December, 2007. It was prepared by Dr. Octavio Ramirez. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for July, August, and September, 2007. It was prepared by Dr. Octavio Ramirez. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for April, May, and June, 2007. It was prepared by Dr. Octavio Ramirez. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for January, February, and March, 2007. It was prepared by Dr. Octavio Ramirez. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for October, November, and December 2006. It was prepared by Dr. Octavio Ramirez. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for July, August, September, 2006. It was prepared by Dr. Octavio Ramirez. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for April, May, June, 2006. It was prepared by Dr. Octavio Ramirez. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for January, February, March, 2006. It was prepared by Dr. Octavio Ramirez. (pdf format)

Dr. Raed Al-Tabini submitted a quarterly report to Dr. Octavio Ramirez for April-June, 2006. (pdf format)

The NMSU team submitted a quarterly report for October, November, December, 2005 by Dr. Octavio Ramirez. (pdf format)

Dr. Richard Phillips submitted a Rangeland Restoration Project to the BRDC for possible implementation for the new fiscal year. (pdf format)