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Syrian crisis harms Jordan's agriculture: official

Xinhua, March 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Jordan said on Tuesday that years of Syrian crisis has negatively affected its agricultural sector, which already imports 90 percent of its food demands, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Jordan's Minister of Water and Irrigation Hazem Nasser said his country's agricultural exports to the EU dropped largely in light of the ongoing unrest in Syria as Jordanian exporters used to send their produce via Syria to the EU.

At a meeting with Food and Agriculture Organization Director General Jose Graziano, the Jordanian minister said the influx of large numbers of Syrian refugees into Jordan has also affected the sector.

"Jordan's exports of fruits and vegetables dropped significantly in light of the increase in local consumption driven by the large number of refugees who entered Jordan," said the minister.

According to official figures, there are about 1.4 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, and 20 percent of them live in camps. The rest are in cities and towns across the country. Endit