Israel Signs Deal With Jordan for Agricultural Imports During Shemittah

Israel and Jordan signed a deal on Tuesday to prioritize agricultural imports from the Jewish state’s eastern neighbor during the upcoming Shemittah year.

The agreement was inked during a meeting at the Allenby Bridge border crossing between Agriculture Minister Oded Forer and his Jordanian counterpart Rasan al-Majali. The Israeli and Jordanian ambassadors were in attendance.

The two sides agreed that Israel would import Jordanian produce during the Shemittah year. Purchasing agricultural produce from Arab neighbors is one solution for obtaining fruits and vegetables during Shemittah.

The ministers also discussed boosting agricultural cooperation between the two countries.

Ties between Israel and Jordan have been warming since Israel’s new government was sworn in two months ago.

The two countries last month agreed to increase Jordan’s export potential from about $160 million a year up to $700 million annually. Israel also agreed to sell an additional 50 million cubic meters of water to Jordan this year.