Period
1900 - in progress
Tala Farms, led by visionary farmer Ayed Shakhanbeh, has harnessed modern hydroponic technology to revolutionize agriculture in Jordan. This transformation resulted in an impressive reduction in water consumption, lower labor and input costs, and increased income for both Jordanians and Syrian refugees. Tala Farms exemplifies how innovative agricultural practices can drive economic growth, create employment opportunities, and improve livelihoods while addressing water scarcity challenges.
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Identification needs
1-Promoting agriculture-led economic growth
2- Improving the efficiency and productivity of the sector
3- Creating workforce opportunities in the value chain
4- Increasing livelihood opportunities for Jordanians and Syrian Refugees.
Stakeholder change
1- Six new tunnel greenhouses were built and retrofitted with hydroponic systems. Primarily planted with lettuce, an additional assortment of crops was supplemented: kale, celery, broccoli, as well as green onions. 2- Tala Farms succeeded in saving nearly 70% of its water bill. 3- Labor and agriculture input costs related to irrigation, fertilization, and supplementary farming materials were significantly reduced. 4- The opportunity for us to employ more Jordanians and Syrian refugees was provided.
Change triggered
The impacts included: 1- yielded nearly half a million of lettuce heads annually. Tala Farms is currently a viable supplier to key establishments and hotels in Amman, Irbid and Aqaba.2- Furthermore, with such massive yields and the continued mitigation of sectoral obstacles, Tala Farms is now considering to initiate export to Kuwait and Iraq. Tala Farms presents a brilliant and successful development model for building a sustainable market system that starts and prospers through building partnerships with community groups and aligning business objectives with community good.
3- Improve job opportunities
4- Low water bills payments.
5- More income has been provided to the families.
Short description
Now retired with a family of his own, Shakhanbeh has been working on his farm and looking for ways to adopt new farming techniques including hydroponics, in order to keep up with the evolving demands of the horticulture business and increase yields. “Traditional farming requires a lot of work, effort, manpower and financial support. Plowing, cultivation and irrigation are conducted manually and are time consuming,” Shakhanbeh said. Faced with such drastic circumstances, Ayed sought support from the Jordan Hydroponic Agriculture and Employment Development Project, a 5-year project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and implemented by ECO Consult.
