Jordan’s Agriculture Ministry announced that the country has started building its first National Seed Bank, CGTN reports citing Petra News Agency.
According to Ag Minister Khaled Huneifat, the seeds bank is already underway, with some 30% completed. The project is expected to be finalized in 2024.
With a budget of $ 6 million, the National Seed Bank (NSB) is collaborating with Hashemite University and it aims to preserve over 2,600 wild species of local plant heritage in the form of seeds.
The NSB will also be focusing on gathering data and providing resources to agriculture workers and researchers locally, as well as globally.
“National Seed Bank and the herbarium perform their tasks in partnership with many local and international partners taking into consideration the spirit and implications of the relevant international agreements such as the convention of biological diversity and the international treaty on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture of FAO,” Hashemite University explains.
