Amman – On Wednesday, the Parliamentary Agriculture and Water Committee held a meeting chaired by MP Ahmed Al-Shudaifat, in the presence of the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Engineer Muhammad Al-Hiyari, the Director-General of the General Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Rana Obeidat, and the Acting Director-General of Standards and Metrology, Engineer Lina Abu Aita, along with a number of stakeholders in the Ministry of Agriculture, the General Organization for Food and Drugs, and General Customs, farmers, and representatives of livestock breeders.

Al-Shudaifat said that during the meeting, standards for importing powdered milk and the possibility of reopening Jordanian sheep export markets were discussed, in addition to following up on the projects of the Forestry Directorate.

Al-Shudaifat called for clarification of the foundations and standards for importing powdered milk, asking about the procedures followed to reopen sheep export markets, presenting a number of proposals to ensure compliance with health and technical requirements, achieving balance in the market, and supporting the local product.

In turn, Representatives Muhammad Al-Marayat, Fathi Al-Bawat, and Walid Al-Masry called for strengthening coordination between the concerned parties to follow up on these files, stressing the supervisory and legislative role of the House of Representatives in supporting the agricultural sector and enhancing food security.

For his part, Al-Hiyari pointed out the follow-up of procedures related to import and export files, in addition to following up on forestry projects in general.

Obaidat confirmed that the file of milk and its derivatives is managed in joint coordination between seven concerned government agencies, ensuring the integration of supervisory and regulatory roles in this vital sector.

She explained that the Ministry of Agriculture was responsible for determining the permissible quantities, while the Ministry of Industry determined the mechanism for entering plant derivatives similar to milk in accordance with the approved legal frameworks.
With regard to oversight, Obaidat stated that the currently recorded violating cases are very limited and are considered individual violations, stressing the continued diligent field follow-up by the Corporation’s staff, in cooperation with the Royal Police for Environmental Protection, within a permanent coordination framework.
Obaidat stressed the commitment of Jordanian factories to the Jordanian standard, especially by using fresh milk in the manufacture of dairy and white cheese, in a way that maintains the quality and safety of the local product.

For their part, the farmers stressed that reopening Jordanian sheep export markets will reflect positively on the sector and contribute to increasing marketing opportunities for the local product, stressing the need to adhere to health standards to ensure the quality of the product.