Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan visited the Irbid Governorate’s Bani Kinanah district on Wednesday north of the capital in Amman.
The Queen met representatives from the Kufrsoum Agricultural Cooperative Association for Pomegranate Producers to discuss the group’s projects and support services to small farmers. Her Majesty spoke to the board of directors and was briefed on these topics by Association President Ahed Obeidat and Director Riyad Abu Ghazal.
She was also able to see a selection of the association’s products before taking part in a soap-making workshop alongside some of the women. The association makes things like pomegranate juice, molasses, soap, tea, and nougat among other items.
The Queen additionally met beneficiaries of the association and toured a pomegranate farm alongside women at the home of Um Fouad.
Queen Rania praised the work done by the organisation and “for serving as an example of how a community can come together to make the most of its natural resources, expressing admiration for the local families that believed in their capabilities and worked hard to realize their potential,” according to Her Majesty’s office.
Later on social media, Queen Rania called the Kufrsoum Agricultural Cooperative Association for Pomegranate Producers “a lifeline for many families in the area.”
The Kufrsoum Agricultural Cooperative Association for Pomegranate Producers was created in 2010 to help develop the local pomegranate industry, as well as benefit from the soil. Her Majesty’s Office explained, “The cooperative association works to build the capacities of its employees and volunteers, and to provide job opportunities to local women and youth through its income-generating projects.”
Irbid has the second most populous population in Jordan after the Amman Governorate and has the highest population density. It is also one of the top agricultural regions in Jordan.
