"Mahras” Olive
Olive Research Department
Landscape Research Directorate
Introduction
The area planted with olive trees in Jordan is about 570 thousand acres. This area is equivalent to 20% of the total area actually planted and 72% of the area planted with fruit trees. The production rate of olive fruits during the past five years was 150-200 thousand tons, of which about 80% of olive production is used to squeeze and produce olive oil, which is 23,000 -27,000 tons annually. As for table olives, the annual production is 27,000 tons. Jordan has olive oil self-sufficiency since 2000.
Olive cultivation in the Mediterranean basin began about 6,000 years ago. Most studies suggest that the olive tree originated in the eastern Mediterranean, especially Syria and Palestine. From this region, this tree moved to Europe and the rest of the world. Jordan is also one of the natural habitats for olive cultivation in the Middle East. This is evidenced by the presence of perennial olive trees in different areas of Jordan, such as the Hashemite area in Ajloun, and Hadeeb EL-Reeh area in Wadi Rum ( Picture No. 5, Appendix No. 1).
The area of historical Roman olive trees in Jordan is 20-15% of the area planted with olive trees, where the visitor sees some villages in Ajloun, Irbid, Balqa, Jerash and Tafila governorates. Roman olive trees and some stone squeezers that were used to squeeze olive fruits in the Roman era, which is another evidence of the historical importance of olive cultivation in Jordan.
The National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) seeks to register perennial olives in the Hashemite area in Ajloun Governorate under the name of the "Mahras" variety and replace it with the popular name among the farmers of the area, i.e. "Rumi". The word “Rumi” refers to an era of time. These trees are of global importance. A recent study conducted by a research team consisting of the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) and two Jordanian universities showed that the perennial "Mahras" olives, in Maysar area in the Hashemite town of Ajloun Governorate, are one of the oldest olive genetic strains in the Mediterranean basin. The analysis of the genetic map of the Mash showed that it is genetically closer to be the origin of the olives of Spain, Italy and Cyprus ( Appendix No. 2). These perennial trees are in the process of being decreased due to urban sprawl and the fragmentation of agricultural properties and their illegal sale (Picture No. 10 &11). The reason for choosing the name of "Mahras” , is that the word "Mahras” refers, according to the popular name of the people of the Hashemite region, to olive trees in which the perimeter of the stem exceeds three meters. "Mahras” is an ancient asset that has preserved its identity through the ages. It has genetic features that have important indications for the Mash's abilities to adapt to climate changes and harsh environments and maintain a distinctive oil quality.
Studies carried out by the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) have shown a high percentage of oil in the fruits of mash olives by 30%, which is one of the highest percentages of olive varieties in the world. The "Mahras” oil is characterized by a distinctive composition of fatty acids with a high percentage of oleic acid (70%), comparable to global varieties, in addition to the sensory characteristics and fruity flavor of "Mahras” oil, in particular.
2. The gains achieved by the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) by adopting the category of "Mahras” instead of the old name "Rumi":
- Obtaining project funding to preserve historical Mash trees in Al-Mayser area and supporting their owners with a value of JOD 135,000/-.
- Giving added value to the resulting oil, as it was noted that consumers were buying olive oil extracted from mash, at prices higher than what is offered in the local market.
- The Jordan Olive Products Exporter Association (JOPEA) purchased the fruits of the Mahras olives from their owners, and they were squeezed and marketed under the trade name "Ateeq ". A ceremony was held to launch this name under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture, Eng. Khaled Haneeqat, and with the participation of Dr. Nizar Haddad, Director General of the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC).
- International interest by those interested in the olive sector in the class of Mash, following the study carried out by the National Center and two Jordanian universities, the results achieved from this study , and the desire to obtain seedlings of this class (Appendix No. 2).
- On the sidelines of the 116th session of the International Olive Council, in which Jordan is assuming the presidency of the Council for the second consecutive year 2023, Mahras was planted in the garden of the International Olive Council under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture, Eng. Khaled Haneeqat. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, this planted tree is the first Jordanian olive tree, which is planted in the garden of the Council (Picture No. 9 ,13 ).
- ( https://petra.gov.jo/Include/InnerPage.jsp?ID=231277&lang=ar&name=news).
- Many olive farmers in other regions of the Kingdom are interested in cultivating this variety; the repeated reviews of the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), or by inquiring on NARC's page on Facebook; about how to obtain seedlings of Mahras variety for cultivation in their farms.
- Establishing Mahras orchards in the research stations of the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) and Al-Hussein Agricultural Station of the Ministry of Agriculture, for the purposes of research studies and multiplication and to provide vaccines for future farmers (Pictures 7, 8 & 9)
- Announcing the naming of Mahras through the audio-visual and print media, whether through compassionate interviews with the Director General of the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Dr. Nizar Haddad, or through interviews with NARC's researchers related to this matter.
- Mahras Cooperative Society for Olive Farmers in the Hashemite Region was established and registered with the Jordanian Cooperative Foundation on 15/1/2023 (Picture No. 14).
- Jordan Post, in cooperation with the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), launched the 2023 commemorative stamp entitled "Mahras Municipal Olive Tree". This edition highlights the municipal Mahras tree, which is one of the oldest genetic breeds in the Mediterranean basin.
3. Morphological characterization of Mahras variety
Perennial Mahras olive trees Conservation project
The project aims at preserving and caring for historical Mahras olive trees through the application of good agricultural practices of fertilization, irrigation, pruning and pest control, which contributes to increasing their productivity in quantity and quality, and providing production inputs for farmers, mechanical harvesting machines, packing boxes and insect traps. The project also counts all perennial olive trees in their areas of existence with the names of private owners, and the number of trees for each possession, studies morphological qualities, horticultural characteristics and oil composition, and examins the genetic qualities of these trees and the rate of production of fruits and oil. The project seeks to establish a nature reserve for Mahras trees in Maysar area in Ajloun governorate, with an area of 150 acres. The number of trees is 750 trees. The project seeks to register it as a nature reserve with private ownership of its owners and to register it in UNESCO as a world heritage. The project is being implemented in the three governorates of Ajloun, Irbid, and Tafila
To view photo album of "Mahras” Olive project, Click here