Almeria has gained a brand in the farming industry due to its advancement in agriculture production and the supporting chains in marketing and postharvest, application based research, access to finance, and cooperative structures. Almeria has become a hub for agribusinesses targeting Europe markets in winter and benefiting from the favorable weather conditions in the area.
There are various similarities between Jordan and Almeria including prevailing dry weather conditions, relatively warm winters, water scarcity, and market demand of neighboring countries. These common features make Almeria a worthy model to focus on for Jordanian farmers and exporters. The HAED-Jo Project designed and conducted a study mission for a group of 17 growers and agribusinesses to learn about the adopted production and postharvest techniques and applications. In addition to learning about discrete application examples, the study mission explored the regional and national enablers of financing, research, and advisory support to growers and cooperatives, and how these enablers played a key role in advancement of farming business cluster.
The mission program extended a full week visiting Research Station of Cajamar Foundation, growers’ cooperatives, greenhouse farms using tradition Parral Greenhouse and improved technologies, open field lettuce in hydroponic and soil, and very high tech full automated systems. In addition, the mission visited the Tecnova Foundation housing tens of agribusinesses (producers of technologies, seed companies, financing institutions, and various businesses involved in the farming chains). In the visit to Tecnova, the mission met with Research Center and learned about the services the center provides to the member companies.
The study mission was very enlightening on the types of greenhouse and growing technologies that could be applied in Jordan demonstrating the benefits and viabilities of these technologies, and management and operational modalities to achieve these benefits. During the study, the growers made connections and arrangements with technology providers to come to Jordan to present adapted solutions to their conditions. The mission positively influenced the behavior of participants on hydroponic farming and other efficient farming applications and how these developments have positioned Almeria businesses and famers to take on a bigger share of the European markets.