HYDROPONIC GREEN FARMING INITIATIVE PROGRAM 2014-SEP-2015-Final.pdf · It was prepared by Eco Consult under the Hydroponic Green Farming Initiative ... Hydroponic Lettuce at the retail

This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Eco Consult under the Hydroponic Green Farming Initiative Program "Cooperative Agreement No AID-263-A-13-00004.”

مبادرةالزراعةالمائية

HYDROPONIC GREEN FARMING INITIATIVE PROGRAM

مبادرةالزراعةالمائية

ANNUALREPORT

OCTOBER 1, 2014 – SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

Hydroponic Green Farming Initiative (HGFI) Annual Report – Year 2

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Table of Contents

1. Program overview .......................................................................................................................5 1.1. Background ..................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2. Program Description ....................................................................................................................... 6 1.3. Purpose of the Annual Report ......................................................................................................... 7

2. Activities during Year 2 ..............................................................................................................7 2.1. Year 2 highlights ............................................................................................................................. 7 2.2. First Quarter (October 1, 2014 – December 31, 2014) ................................................................. 10 2.3. Second Quarter (January 1 – March 31, 2015) ............................................................................. 14 2.4. Third Quarter (April 1 – June 30, 2015) ....................................................................................... 19 2.5. Fourth Quarter (July 1 – September 30, 2015) ............................................................................. 24 2.6. Measuring Year 2 activities against key indicators ....................................................................... 29

3. Challenges and potential solutions for Year 3 ...........................................................................30 3.1. External conditions ....................................................................................................................... 30 3.2. Formulating nutrient solutions ...................................................................................................... 31 3.3. Marketing ...................................................................................................................................... 31 3.4. Technical knowledge .................................................................................................................... 32

4. Integration of key priorities .......................................................................................................33 4.1. Water conservation ....................................................................................................................... 33 4.2. Economic competitiveness and rural development ....................................................................... 33 4.3. Greening agriculture ..................................................................................................................... 34 4.4. Gender participation ...................................................................................................................... 34

5. Results & Economics of Hydroponic Farming Systems ...........................................................35 5.1. Thyme ........................................................................................................................................... 35 5.2. Lettuce ........................................................................................................................................... 37 5.3. Pepper ........................................................................................................................................... 38

6. Outreach and dissemination activities .......................................................................................41 6.1. Outreach activities ......................................................................................................................... 41 6.2. Knowledge dissemination activates .............................................................................................. 42 6.3. Media Coverage ............................................................................................................................ 45 6.4. Management and administrative issues ......................................................................................... 49 6.5. Upcoming activities ...................................................................................................................... 50 6.6. Concluding Remarks ..................................................................................................................... 51

7. Annexes .....................................................................................................................................51 7.1. Annex 1: Summary of Year 3 Work Plan Activities ..................................................................... 51 7.2. Annex 2: List of Suppliers ............................................................................................................ 53


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Table of Figures and Images Table 1: Activities, timeframe and milestones - First Quarter. ......................................................... 13 Table 2: The different systems executed at the six demonstration sites: .......................................... 16 Table 3: Activities, timeframe, and milestones - Second Quarter. .................................................... 19 Table 4: Summary of the hydroponic sites visited during the WUR visit to Jordan ......................... 20 Table 5: Activities, timeframe, and milestones - Third Quarter ....................................................... 23 Table 6: Activities, timeframe, and milestones - Fourth Quarter. ..................................................... 28 Table 7: Key indicators for the HGFI program and rate of achievement for Year 2 ........................ 29 Table 8: Thyme demonstration results at Bani Kananeh .................................................................. 36 Table 9: Scaling of results for thyme ................................................................................................ 36 Table 10: Lettuce demonstration results at Zarqa ............................................................................... 37 Table 11: Scaling of results for Lettuce .............................................................................................. 37 Table 12: Pepper demonstration results at Jordan Valley ................................................................... 39 Table 13: Scaling of results for Pepper ............................................................................................... 39 Table 14: Locations and attendees’ count of the different field day events ........................................ 41 Table 15: Locations and attendees’ count during U.S. Ambassador Visits to HGFI .......................... 42 Table 16: Attendees’ count of the workshop ...................................................................................... 42 Table 17: Persons who contacted HGFI for technical support on hydroponic farming ...................... 43 Image 1: The Jordan River Basin in Jordan: Topographic features ........................................................ 6 Image 2: One of the field days at JV Hydroponic Pepper Demonstration site ........................................ 8 Image 3: Attendees at the Hydroponic Workshop .................................................................................. 9 Image 4: Hydroponics Green Farming Initiative Facebook page ......................................................... 11 Image 6: Al-Nimer Farm (Hydroponic Tomato) ................................................................................... 12 Image 5: Shehadeh Murad Farm (Hydroponic Pepper) ........................................................................ 12 Image 7: Palestinian group .................................................................................................................... 12 Image 8: Dr. Ahmed Moustafa investigates lettuce at Zarqa demo site. ............................................... 15 Image 9: Dr. Ahmed Moustafa discusses with Shehadeh Murad .......................................................... 15 Image 10: Field day at Lettuce Demonstration site, Zarqa ..................................................................... 17 Image 11: Ambassador Visit to Hydroponics pepper site, JV................................................................. 18 Image 13: WUR Visit to Ahmad Omar Strawberry Farm ....................................................................... 21 Image 12: WUR Visit to Sharif Hajjar Basil Farm ................................................................................. 21 Image 14: Ambassador Visit to Al-Ma’ayeer Hydroponic Barley Production site ................................. 22 Image 15: New Hydroponic Green house at Al-Nimer Farm planted with cucumber ............................ 25 Image 16: Hydroponically grown watermelon, basil and lettuce at Al-Nimer Farm .............................. 25 Image 17: U.S. Ambassador visits Al-Nimer Farm ................................................................................ 26 Image 18: HGFI website (https://www.hgfi.org) .................................................................................... 27 Image 19: Hydroponic Lettuce at the retail shops ................................................................................... 31 Image 21: Stock Solutions (A B C Tank) ................................................................................................ 32 Image 20: Fertigation Unit at Al-Nimer Farm ........................................................................................ 32 Image 22: Work force Development (WfD) visits Bani Kananeh Hydroponic Thyme site ................... 33 Image 23: Women of JV examining hydroponic thyme ......................................................................... 34


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Table of Acronyms Acronym Term CBO Community based organization WG Wageningen University WUR Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture HGFI The Hydroponic Green Farming Initiative

WP Work Plan

HH Household GDP Gross domestic product CAPEX Capital expenditure OPEX Operating expenses PV Photovoltaic JD Jordanian Dinar AEA Agricultural Engineering Association NCARE National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension MCM Million cubic meters NGO Non-government organization VCF Value chain finance JUST Jordan University of Science and Technology EAS Extension advisory services


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1. Program overview Program Name: Hydroponic Green Farming Initiative (HGFI)

Activity Start And End Date: October 2013 – October 2016

Name of Prime Implementing Partner: Eco Consult Cooperative Agreement Number: AID-263-A-13-00004 Major Counterpart Organizations: United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Geographic Coverage:

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (cities of Madaba, Zarqa, Amman, Irbid and Jordan Valley)

Reporting Period: Year 2 (October 1, 2014 – September 30, 2015)

1.1. Background Jordan is a low to middle income country that faces major economic and social development challenges. Its domestic energy and water resources are almost non-existent, ranked among the top-ten most water deprived countries in the world, and is importing in excess of 90% of its energy needs1. This, coupled with a high population growth, has aggravated many economic challenges including high unemployment and poverty rates and is accompanied by a large government budget deficit that has been growing steadily over the past decade. Agriculture’s share of GDP and the labor force has been declining in the last decades, though agriculture remains a critical form of sustenance and employment for Jordan’s poorest citizens. Studies have shown that the agriculture sector enjoys a comparative advantage in some products, though this declines when considering water efficiency and non-winter production. Efforts to improve the agriculture sector include increased public and private sector investments, improved legislation to enhance the sector’s productivity and efficiency, and responsiveness to changing environmental conditions, such as decreases in soil quality and water supply.2 The value of the Jordanian agricultural sector is approximately 598 million3 JD and although its share of the national economy stands at just below 3%, agriculture provides important social, economic, and political benefits through rural job creation and income generation. Agriculture in Jordan is concentrated in two main areas: the Jordan Valley and the Highlands. In the Highlands, agriculture has experienced exponential growth rates of approximately 77% over a decade and a half4 in spite of ending new groundwater well licensing. Irrigated agriculture in the Highlands is a major user of scarce 1 World Bank (http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.IMP.CONS.ZS) and EIA (http://www.eia.gov/countries/country-

data.cfm?fips=jo) 2 http://inform.gov.jo/en-us/By-Date/Report-Details/ArticleId/63/smid/420/ArticleCategory/216/Assessment-of-the-Agricultural-

Sector-in-Jordan 3 International Resources Group (IRG), ed. Water Valuation Study - Summary Report. Rep. USAID/Jordan Institutional Support

and Strengthening Program (ISSP), 2012. Web. 4 Ibid.


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groundwater resources, relying on subsidized electricity to pump approximately 300 MCM of groundwater annually5. In addition, farmers in this area predominantly grow traditional, low value, and high water consuming crops6. Image 1: The Jordan River Basin in Jordan: Topographic features7

In 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey analyzed groundwater levels and salinity trends in six groundwater basins (Amman-Zarqa, Azraq, Dead Sea, Hammad, Jordan Side Valleys, and Yarmouk). The key findings confirmed that groundwater levels will continue to decline at a rate of 1m/year in most basins accompanied by a steady decline in spring flow and stream base flow8. Initiatives that rationalize groundwater abstractions will therefore assist in protecting Jordan’s scare water resources. This is achievable through the provision of new, high-value farming techniques that will not only use far less water quantities, but will simultaneously improve household livelihoods. As water sources further diminish, it is expected that agricultural water availability will simultaneously decrease; impacting the income and welfare of most rural families who are already facing the challenge of limited employment alternatives and development opportunities.

1.2. Program Description The USAID-funded Hydroponic Green Farming Initiative (HGFI) focuses on issues of water and energy scarcity in Jordan by introducing integrated hydroponic-photovoltaic farming systems at the household and commercial levels. Using several demonstration sites located throughout the Highlands 5 Lipchin, Clive, Deborah Sandler, and Emily Cushman. "Managing Jordan's Water Budget." Jordan River and Dead Sea Basin:

Cooperation amid Conflict. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer in Cooperation with NATO Public Diplomacy Division, 2009. 66. Web.

6 Ibid. 7 Suleiman, Rebhieh. The Historical Evolution of Water Resources Development of the Jordan River Basin in Jordan. Rep.

International Water Management Institute (IWMI), June 2003. Web. 18 Oct. 2014. 8 Goode, D.J., Senior, L.A., Subah, Ali, and Jaber, Ayman, 2013, Groundwater-level trends and forecasts, and salinity trends, in

the Azraq, Dead Sea, Hammad, Jordan Side Valleys, Yarmouk, and Zarqa groundwater basins, Jordan: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013-1061, 80 p., available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1061/


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in Zarqa, Madaba, Amman and Bani Kananeh in addition to the Jordan Valley, the HGFI simultaneously addresses resource scarcity in Jordanian agriculture while also positively contributing to rural economies and agricultural development. It also builds the local expertise and skills required for wide-scale adoption of this technology, both in Jordan and the broader MENA region, and develop profitable and sustainable business models that could be used to acquire credit funding. To this end, the USAID-funded HGFI will focus on the following aspects:

1. Water efficiency in agriculture through the use of hydroponic systems that significantly reduce water loss when compared to traditional farming practices.

2. Agriculture productivity through increased quantity and value of produce. 3. Use of cost effective and environmentally friendly green energy sources for farming instead of

fossil fuels. By encouraging farmers to adopt integrated hydroponic-photovoltaic technologies, the HGFI hopes to also contribute to efforts to combat the increasingly severe environmental issues associated with traditional farming techniques as well as provide an opportunity for farmers throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to adopt innovative technology for augmented crop productivity and input savings. The project supports the Middle East Bureau’s 2012 Vision Paper, specifically Development Objective 3, “Increased capacity of stakeholders to manage water resources more effectively and efficiently.” The purpose of the project is to improve the availability of key information and increase the capacity of stakeholders to manage water resources more effectively in the MENA region. The development hypothesis is that sustainable efficiencies in food production, health, and availability of clean drinking water will result from strengthened capacity of national and regional institutions to better manage and utilize scarce water. The project is also consistent with USAID’s Global Water Strategy as well as the 2011 Strategy for Water Security in the Arab Region.

1.3. Purpose of the Annual Report The purpose of the HGFI Annual Report is to review the progress, achievements, challenges, and key events of the project during Year 2, from October 1, 2014 – September 30, 2015, in comparison with key priorities from the Year 2 Work Plan and specified milestones. It also highlights the integration of broader development themes into implementation activities, challenges, management and administrative issues, and projected activities for Year 3.

2. Activities during Year 2 2.1. Year 2 highlights

Implementation of the project during Year 2 can be characterized as having a number of important achievements, including:


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Extensive field and desktop research on the status of and potential for hydroponic systems in

Jordan, creating a clear mandate for the project objectives. Design of indigenous hydroponic systems that incorporate materials readily available in local

markets to increase the likelihood of broader adoption and financial accessibility. Installation of hydroponic systems in three key locations in Jordan in addition to the four

previous locations on a cost-sharing basis with the site owners to promote ownership and encourage better management.

Successful partnership with local, women-led community based organizations (CBOs) in Irbid,

Jordan Valley and Madaba to implement and manage a drip hydroponic greenhouse for thyme cultivation.

Commencement of the planting process for each greenhouse.

Contracts were signed with international hydroponics experts.

o Dr. Ahmed Moustafa from Sulaitin Agricultural foundation. o Mr. Chris Blok and Mr. Erik Van Os from WUR.

Several field day events, visits, presentations and a workshop were arranged and held

successfully. The U.S. Ambassador visited 3 demonstration sites during this year.

o More than 290 participants attended field days at different demonstrations sites.

Image 2: One of the field days at JV Hydroponic Pepper Demonstration site


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o More than 70 invitees were invited to the hydroponic workshop held in Amman in the presence of the WUR experts. A total of 43 people participated in this workshop.

Image 3: Attendees at the Hydroponic Workshop

A financing mechanism report was issued to explain the available opportunities to fund future

hydroponic projects at the farm level.

Development Credit Authority (DCA) financing was set up to fund farmers via suppliers by guaranteeing loans to the farmers (50% partial loan guarantee). The plan was discussed with suppliers, associations and other stakeholders. Ms. Beth Adler of USAID/DCA visited Jordan and HGFI to see the sights of applying the DCA concept in Jordan.

A Pesticide Evaluation Report & Safe Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) was prepared by a team from the GEMS-II field support mechanism available to USAID, implemented by CADMUS. Several field visits, interviews and meetings were held for the purpose of preparing and issuing this report.

Year 2 activities helped to spread the hydroponic concept among Jordanian farmers, beginners, CBOs and households in many governorates of Jordan. ECO Consult received more than 25 requests from people interested in farming hydroponically.

Final results for three crops and demonstration sites were obtained and evaluated. These promising results were presented in the Hydroponic Workshop held in August 2015.

Along with these achievements, there were several challenges during Year 2 that can be attributed to the process of adopting a new, more technical method of intensive agriculture. While these challenges resulted in key changes to hydroponic system management and project workflow, important lessons can nonetheless be derived from the troubleshooting process that will enable the demonstration sites to


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not only operate more effectively, but also ensure future replications of the sites avoid the same problems. These subjects will be discussed in-depth under Section 3, Challenges and Potential Solutions for Year 3. Furthermore, it was concluded that the limited extent of hydroponic farming has correspondingly constrained the amount of data available on its potential for Jordan, to a great degree reinforcing the belief that investment costs are a serious impediment to implementing hydroponic techniques. As a result, the program team initiated an outreach plan that allows stakeholders to see the demonstration sites, meet with farmers, and discuss issues with HGFI personnel and farmers. The results of field days at the different sites, Facebook page, and other communication strategies were obvious and many farmers and beginners showed their interest and started contacting HGFI and its farmer participants to obtain more details about hydroponics and its feasibility. Financing mechanisms that could help farmers to overcome the high initial investment costs were examined through a financing report and discussion at the HGFI events. Positive economic analyses of hydroponic demonstrations encouraged farmers to adopt this farming system. The following section reviews each quarter during the second year, highlighting key milestones followed by a review of Work Plan activities and deliverables, events, and significant outcomes.

2.2. First Quarter (October 1, 2014 – December 31, 2014) The Year 2 Work Plan was finalized. Starting design and installation of new demonstration sites. Contracted with the hydroponic expert Dr. Ahmed Moustafa. Quarterly progress report was submitted. Start field day activities by receiving a group of Palestinian engineers at the JV Pepper

Demonstration. Follow up and data collection for ongoing demonstrations.

Activities conducted during this time were administrative, technical and social, including the continuous procurement of all necessary equipment, hiring of all essential project staff, and finalization of the Year 2 Work Plan. In addition to that, media was employed to widen the adoption of this new technique. A Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/hydroponicsfarming) was developed to show hydroponics trials and results, and receive questions from interested people on the page.


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Image 4: Hydroponics Green Farming Initiative Facebook page

Several visits took place to hydroponic component suppliers of greenhouses, fertilizers, transplants, polyethylene materials, and others to explore the potential of using local materials in the hydroponic industry. The team found that most of the components or adequate substitutes are available in the market and farmers could purchase these inputs easily from the stores. A list of suppliers was developed (Annex 2). Experiences gained from the previous year were of great importance. Availability of materials, methods of installation, nutrient solutions and recipes, and farmers’ ability to manage the crop and the system are the main constraints that HGFI overcame with the help of external experts and on farm continuous trials. Key Work Plan Activities and Deliverables Many deliverables were completed and submitted to the Agreements Officer Representative (AOR):

• Following up the Ongoing Demonstration sites: Different Demonstration site were followed frequently to guarantee their best growth conditions in terms of water consumption, water Ph and EC, plant health and productivity, etc.

• Installation of Four New Demonstrations in the Highlands and in the Jordan Valley: Two of them in the Highlands and the other two in the Jordan Valley; the HH sites in both locations were equipped with new GHs and all the required staff for the hydroponic system. Both are top feeding techniques with media. The other sites already have greenhouses where the project role was to covert from traditional to hydroponic farming techniques and provide owners with technical support.


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• Contracting with Dr. Ahmed Mustafa, the Hydroponic Expert: Who is the CEO of an Agricultural firm in Qatar. He has been working on hydroponics for 25 years, and has projects all around the Gulf area, and he was a Project Technical Consultant for six months.

• Receiving the Approval from the USAID on contracting the Dutch Expert (WUR).

• Conducting a Field Day for a Palestinian Group at the Jordan Valley Commercial Farm: In cooperation with the Agricultural Engineers Association; a Palestinian group of twenty farmers visited the project’s commercial site in the Jordan Valley. The participants showed interest in hydroponic farming as Palestine is suffering from water shortages, especially for irrigation purposes. The group consisted agricultural engineers representing different Palestinians sectors such as the Ministry of Agriculture, private sector, CBOs and others. This event illustrates the regional linkages of the project.

• Participating in ICARDA’s 6th Water and Livelihoods Initiative (WLI) Annual Regional Coordination Meeting in Amman: the participation included presenting the project achievements and future plans. A presentation entitled “Hydroponics and High Value Crops” was introduced to the audience followed by questions and discussion.

Image 5: Al-Nimer Farm (Hydroponic Tomato) Image 6: Shehadeh Murad Farm (Hydroponic Pepper)

Image 7: Palestinian group


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Table 1: Activities, timeframe and milestones - First Quarter.

Activities Timeframe Start / End Date

Responsibility Milestones

Assess crop selected for each site and change variety where necessary.

Oct 2014

Dec 2014

Site engineer - Cultivation of new crop at selected sites has commenced.

- Greenhouses have been retrofitted with additional components.

- Greenhouse relocation activities and planting procedures have commenced.

- New terms of agreement have been finalized with all parties.

- Priority learning areas/stakeholders have been identified for both commercial and HH levels.

- Site-specific issues/solutions are incorporated into education material.

- Open days broadly attended. - Training material revised

and finalized. - Contacts with suppliers

established for potential referral.

- Established contacts with relevant MoMs and institutions for accredited training support and logistical assistance.

- Site selected. - Design is approved by site

owners and project team - Financial and budget

analysis discussed and approved.

- Greenhouse materials appropriately priced and procured.

- Hydroponic system is installed with integrated PV.

- Management is trained on new system

Add additional technical complexity to hydroponic systems as needed.

Team leader

Modify terms of agreement to include lessons learned. Team leader

Identify and assess priority areas and relevant stakeholders for outreach campaign (commercial/HH).

All staff

Generate event schedule and field day presentation outline.

Site engineer and team leader

Preparation of outreach educational material. All staff

Identify relevant CBOs/participants during field day events.

Team leader

Produce relevant education material for training.

All staff

Implement referral process to ensure interested parties are connected to the appropriate suppliers.

Team leader

Designate community focal point for trouble shooting and technical support in cooperation with the project.

Team leader & site engineer

Site selection and suitability assessment. All staff

Design of integrated system given site assessment.

Team leader + site engineer

Analyze budget and financial requirements.

Team leader

Commence installation and operation activities.

Site engineer


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• First Quarterly Report: (October 1 – December 31, 2014); this quarterly progress report

contained the following content: activities carried out for the quarter along with submitted deliverables; milestones achieved ;performance indicators; planned activities for the following quarter; management and staffing; and financial reporting.

In addition to these deliverables, Table 1 presents the main tasks carried out by the program during the First Quarter with planned implementation timeframe, responsibility for implementation, and associated milestones.

2.3. Second Quarter (January 1 – March 31, 2015)

The second quarter of the second year’s main content incorporates:

• HGFI staffing including knowledge and recommendations received from the Project’s technical expert Dr. Ahmed Moustafa during his visits to the demonstration sites.

• HGFI activities, including actions taken with the Wageningen University and Research Center (WUR) during this quarter.

• A detailed review about the outreach programs that took place at the six demonstration sites in the Jordan Valley and the Highlands, located at Zarqa, Al-Kraymeh, Al-Arda, Madaba and Bani Kananeh. The review will include data about water quality and use, crop density and production rates at the six sites and a comparison of statistics between the success of hydroponic farming and traditional farming methods.

• Further outreach and dissemination plans to expand the HGFI objectives across the kingdom. • A primary financial feasibility analysis of hydroponically grown crops, including thyme,

lettuce and pepper production levels by comparing input efforts, water consumption, crop productivity, quality and market price.

• Access to finance activities and the efforts placed to build public-private partnerships with the Arab Potash Company (APC), The Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD) and The Haya Cultural Center.

• Several field days were conducted successfully during this quarter. • US Ambassador conducted the first visit to HGFI Project at Jordan valley hydroponic pepper

demonstration. • Future outreach plans for the following quarter, April to June 2015. • The HGFI program’s financial report and a table of spending during January to March 2015

were submitted. The primary focus of the second quarter included many major issues; such as acquiring expertise in hydroponics from Dr. Ahmed Moustafa, who has an immense knowledge in the subject, especially in the dry climate counties such as Jordan. He has capacity and experience when dealing with harsh and unpredictable weather conditions.

During the second quarter, Dr. Ahmed visited two hydroponic commercial sites; the hydroponic lettuce production at Basel Al-Wirr’s farm located in Zarqa, and the hydroponic pepper production site at Shahada Murad farm located at Al-Kreymah in the Jordan Valley. During his visits he acted as a troubleshooter in addressing the technical issues raised by the farmers, providing feedback about the


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adjustments needed and evaluating the levels of the crop production. For example, on 2014 during a previous visit for Dr. Ahmed to Al-Wirr farm in Zarqa, he pointed out that the water used from the farm well had salinity levels too high for hydroponic use; approximately 1414 parts per million (ppm), and he informed the farmers that growing crops hydroponically, especially lettuce, requires fresh water with salinity levels below 500 ppm. After changing water source and having higher water quality, the lettuce production at the farm became much more promising and the lettuce is currently being sold at high end supermarkets in Amman.

ECO Consult submitted a waiver to contract with WUR in November 2013. In January 2015, the approval was obtained to contract WUR. The first visit of WUR took place in the second quarter and their observations provided inputs for an excellent report. WUR is a global leader in hydroponic farming with over a century of experience in different countries. In collaboration with the USAID HGFI program, WUR presented valuable information and advice on best practices to improve the overall productivity of soilless farming in Jordan. The report summarized their work in the arid and dry regions of the Middle East and North Africa; it included techniques to create successful hydroponic systems in Jordan concerning design, installation, media, water consumption and quality. This report provided the HGFI team beneficial and crucial information on ways to improve and enhance the production of hydroponically grown crops in Jordan.

The first scheduled visit of WUR was postponed from February to mid-May, when they could offer feedback on ways to improve the current farming, design and installation techniques. As noted in the progress report of October to December 2014, they provided us with:

• Studies of successful hydroponic projects in the region, especially when using high salinity water.

• A benchmark analysis of hydroponics in different parts of the region, to help compare our project processes and performances with the best practices from other foreign operations.

• Contact information regarding international suppliers for nutrients, growing cups and basin materials, due to the fact that Jordan lacks a proper industry that produces hydroponic supplies.

Image 8: Dr. Ahmed Moustafa investigates lettuce at Zarqa demo site.

Image 9: Dr. Ahmed Moustafa discusses with Shehadeh Murad


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For example, nutrient suppliers provide us with fertilizers used in traditional soil-agriculture, which is not optimal for soil-less farming.

• Data on the prospects of combining rain water harvesting, photovoltaic cells (PV) with hydroponic farming.

The WUR advice and recommendations were incorporated into the HGFI technical activities, specifically the greenhouse installation. Table 2 shows the demonstration sites that benefitted in the Jordan Valley and the Highlands. Most of the demonstration sites use the top feeding techniques, utilizing either perlite or tuff, except for the lettuce production site that uses the floating-raft system. The design and installation of the six sites listed below were completed and gave excellent vegetable and herb production.

Table 2: The different systems executed at the six demonstration sites:

Key Work Plan Activities and Deliverables: The following deliverables were completed and presented to the AOR:

• Expert Visit: Dr. Ahmed Moustafa is an expert in the field of hydroponics working with the HGFI as the project’s technical consultant. He has provided our team with much needed knowledge on ways to improve the hydroponic farms and overcome obstacles, especially problems related to the nutrient-rich water solutions. He has also worked with the farmers to implement better soil-less farming techniques, as this concept is a foreign system to many of the traditional farmers around Jordan. His visits have also been extremely helpful to the

Demonstration site location

Date

Crop type

Type of GH

Dimensions of GH

GH cover material

Hydroponic system

Media

Zarqa lettuce site

Jan 28, 2015 Lettuce

Metal multi-span

9 * 50 * 4 m high

Insect net

Floating raft

Nutrient solution

JV pepper site

Feb 28, 2015

Pepper

Metal multi-span

30 * 8 * 4.8 m high

Polyethylene & insect net

Top feeding

Perlite

Bani Kananeh thyme site

Mar 17, 2015

Thyme

Metal single tunnel

16.5 * 9 * 3m high

Polyethylene

Top feeding

Tuff

JV thyme site

Mar 29, 2015

Thyme

Metal single tunnel

16 * 8 * 3.4 m high

Insect net

Top feeding

Perlite

Madaba thyme site

Apr-Jun, 2015

Thyme

Metal single tunnel

16.5 * 9 * 3m high

Polyethylene

Top feeding

Tuff

Madaba vegetable site

Apr-Jun, 2015

Pepper, tomatoes, cherry-

tomatoes

Metal single tunnel

40 * 8 * 3.4 m high

Polyethylene

Top feeding

Perlite


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farmers – during his visit he provided feedback about the adjustments put into effect by farmers took and the subsequent levels of crop production.

• Report Provided by Wageningen UR: Based on the contract signed during the previous quarter, the WUR submitted a report to ECO Consult with regards to their work in arid and dry regions in the Middle East and North Africa. The report includes techniques to create successful hydroponic systems in Jordan, with regards to the design, installation, media, water consumption and quality, etc. The report provides the team beneficial and crucial information on ways to improve and enhance the production of hydroponically grown crops.

• Demonstration Sites and Events: Field days are one of the outreach mechanisms used to extend information to farmers and stakeholders to increase their knowledge about hydroponics. All sites hosted field days (except the demonstration sites at Al-Areesh Household and Madaba Commercial sites in Madaba where field days were held in the following quarter). The field day events were highly successful with regards to stakeholder and farmer participation, crop productivity, water conservation and feedback received from the attendees.

Image 10: Field day at Lettuce Demonstration site, Zarqa An especially successful demonstration event was the JV pepper field visit, where serveral important dignitaries joined farmers at the event, including, U.S Ambassador to Jordan, Alice G. Wells; USAID/Jordan Mission Director, Beth Page; Minister of Water and Irrigation, Hazim El-Naser; and Secretary General, Jordan Valley Authority, Saad Abu Hammour. The feedback generated was extremely positive and it encouraged the HGFI team to conduct more events to promote and demonstrate the benefits of hydroponic farming. Discussion between the participants and the HGFI team allowed the interested participants including government parties, USAID representatives, farmers, suppliers, manufactures, etc., to express any concerns


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and ask questions. Following the discussion and feedback many of the participants signed up for a workshop and training sessions in the following quarters to attain a better understanding about the mechanisms involved in hydroponic farming.

Image 11: Ambassador Visit to Hydroponics pepper site, JV

• Building Partnerships: the HGFI team took the initiative to reach out to both public and private partnerships with the goal of further expanding the scope of hydroponic in Jordan. HGFI was able to create links with JOHOD, APC and the Haya Cultural Center.

• Second Quarterly Report: A quarterly progress report was prepared and submitted, highlighting the activities, achievements, and events of HGFI over the Second Quarter (January 1– March 31, 2015) and compares them to the initial work plan and specified milestones. It also highlighted any issues that arose during the quarter and reviewed activities envisioned for the next period (April to June 2015).

In addition to the bulleted deliverables, Table 3 presents the main tasks carried out by the program during the Second Quarter with planned implementation timeframe, responsibility for implementation, and associated milestones.


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Table 3: Activities, timeframe, and milestones - Second Quarter.

2.4. Third Quarter (April 1 – June 30, 2015) The content of this quarter’s report encompasses:

• HGFI actions taken with WUR during this quarter and their visit to Jordan earlier in May. • A detailed review of the technical achievements at the demonstrations sites, located in Zarqa,

Al-Kraymeh, Bani Kananeh, Madaba, Al-Areesh and Al-Ardah area. The crops include tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, pepper, barley and thyme.

• A review on the demonstration events that took place during this quarter, including three events at the Jordan Valley pepper site, an event at the U.S Embassy and another at Al-Ma’ayeer barley site.

• A financial feasibility analysis of hydroponic crops grown, including thyme, lettuce and pepper production levels by comparing input efforts, water consumption, crop productivity, quality and market price.

Activities Timeframe Start / End Date

Responsibility Milestones

Site selection and suitability assessment.

Jan 2015 Mar 2015

All staff - Site selected. - Design is approved by

site owners and project team

- Financial and budget analysis discussed and approved.




- Selected development bid meets budget requirements.

- Content is produced in both Arabic and English.

- Website launch is advertised with relevant institutions and private entities.



Analyze budget and financial requirements.

Team leader

Commence installation and operation activities

Site engineer

Information architecture and content mapping. All staff

Identify appropriate platform (CMS) and necessary functionality.

Internal Consultant

Contact local developers for bids. Team leader

Produce content in Arabic and English.

All staff

Finalize budget and submit for approval.

Team leader

Commence development. External consultant

Produce email flier to notify relevant institutions/private entities.

All staff


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• Further outreach and knowledge dissemination efforts to expand HGFI objectives across the kingdom.

• Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safe Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) to examine active ingredients in pesticides and provide health and safety measures to farmers and end-consumers, with regards to pesticide use.

• The HGFI Program’s financial report and a table of spending from April to June 2015. • Way forward and future plans for the following quarters, July to September 2015 and an

outline of a way forward for the HGFI Program and team.

Table 4: Summary of the hydroponic sites visited during the WUR visit to Jordan Farm owner

Location

Date

Crop type

GH

Hydroponic

system

Media

Shehadah Murad Jordan Valley

May 3, 2015

Pepper

Multi-span

Drip irrigation Perlite

Abu Sido

Jordan Valley

May 3, 2015

Basil and Pepper

Multi-span

Nutrient Film Technique

(NFT)

Clay Pellets

Sharif Hajjar

Jordan Valley

May 3, 2015

Herbs

Multi-span

Drip irrigation

Tuff

Ahmad Omar Jordan Valley

May 4, 2015

Strawberries

Single-span

Drip irrigation Coconut husk (coir)

Al-Ma’ayeer: Wael and Bassem

Jibreel

Jordan Valley

May 4, 2015

Lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers

Single-span

NFT; Drip irrigation

Al-Nimer

Jordan Valley

May 4, 2015

Tomatoes, peppers and

lettuce

Multi-span

Drip irrigation; Floating raft

Local tuff

Al-Balqa’

Jordan Valley

May 5, 2015

Roses

Multi-span

Drip irrigation

Coarse and fine tuff stone

In the Third Quarter, May 3-7, 2015, the HGFI team and two members of WUR, Mr. Chris Blok and Prof. Dr. Erik Van, accompanied by the ECO Consult team, visited HGFI demonstration sites implemented by HGFI and commercial hydroponic farms in the Jordan Valley, Madaba and Balqa’ (Table 4). The aim was to provide the team with:

• Studies of successful hydroponic projects in the region, especially when using saline water. • A benchmark analysis of hydroponics in different parts of the region, to help compare our

project processes and performances with the best practices from other foreign operations. • Contact information regarding international suppliers for nutrients, planting cups and basin

materials, due to the fact that Jordan lacks an industry to produce hydroponic supplies. For


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example, nutrient suppliers provide us with fertilizers used in traditional soil-borne agriculture, which is not optimal for soil-less farming.

• Data on the prospects of combining rain water harvesting and photovoltaic cells (PV) with hydroponic farming.

Key Work Plan Activities and Deliverables The following deliverable was prepared and completed for submission to the AOR:

• Actions Taken with the Wageningen UR: Based on the contract signed during the October- December 2014 quarter, WUR submitted a confidential report to ECO Consult in the previous quarter (Jan-Mar 2015) concerning their work in arid and dry regions in MENA. The report provided HGFI beneficial and crucial information on ways to improve and enhance the production of hydroponically grown crops. Two experts from WUR visited several hydroponic farms in Jordon in the beginning of May with the aim of providing us with studies, benchmark analysis, contact information, data and recommendations to advance and improve hydroponic farming systems and methods across the Kingdom.

• Technical Achievements: During the past quarters, several HGFI demonstration sites were installed and demonstration events took place to expand interest in hydroponic farming. The sites are mainly located in the JV and the Highlands; all showed promising vegetable and herb production and the farm owners all harvested and sold their produce. These sites encompass either drip irrigation or floating raft techniques, utilizing either perlite or tuff. They also demonstrated a decreased use of water, land area, fertilizers and pesticides.

• Demonstration Events-April-June Quarter: During this quarter five demonstration events were held, three of which took place at the Jordan Valley pepper site. There was also an event at the U.S Embassy and at another at Al-Ma’ayeer farm in Amman. All the demonstration events were successful with regards to stakeholder and farmer participation, crop productivity, and water conservation.

Image 12: WUR Visit to Ahmad Omar Strawberry

Image 13: WUR Visit to Sharif Hajjar Basil Farm


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Image 14: Ambassador Visit to Al-Ma’ayeer Hydroponic Barley Production site

• Outreach and Knowledge Dissemination: In addition to the demonstration events, the HGFI

encompasses other efforts including training sessions, workshops and participation in professional events. These efforts aim to reach out to interested small scale and large scale farmers, stakeholders, government entities, and organizations. The total number of participants is 85% of the target (500) over the lifetime of the project. Many more events are planned and expected to take place up until the end of 2016.

• Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safe Use Plan (PERSUAP): The PERSUAP examines active ingredients in pesticides to be used for main production crops identified by the HGFI. All pesticides used in hydroponic farming supported by USAID need to be approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with the aim of providing necessary health and safety measures for farmers using pesticides and the end consumers buying the produce. Stella Siegel, a member of the Cadmus Group and PERSUAP team, spent a week conducting field work examining USAID-supported farms in Jordan to evaluate the pesticide handling procedures.

• Third Quarterly Report: A quarterly progress report was prepared and submitted, highlighting the activities, achievements, and events of HGFI over the Third Quarter (April 1– June 31, 2015) and compares them to the initial work plan and specified milestones.

In addition to these deliverables, Table 5 presents the main tasks carried out by the program during the Third Quarter with planned implementation timeframe, responsibility for implementation, and associated milestones.


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Table 5: Activities, timeframe, and milestones - Third Quarter Activities Start / End

Date Responsibility Milestones


April 2015

June 2015

All staff



- Open days broadly attended.



Preparation of outreach educational material.

All staff

Identify relevant CBOs/participants during field day events. Team leader - Training material

revised and finalized. - Contacts with suppliers




All staff


Team leader



Site selection and suitability assessment. All staff - Site selected. - Design is approved by

site owners and project team

- Financial and budget analysis discussed and approved.






Analyze budget and financial requirements. Team leader

Commence installation and operation activities

Site engineer

Conduct visits and support targeted large and medium farmers to expand implementation. (Target list will be derived from field day visits and training events).


- Communication lines have been established with interested farmers to facilitate learning and adoption in terms of hydroponic system vendors, PV suppliers, technical resources, and financing schemes

Communicate with suppliers to build capacity and offer extension services to the sector.

Team leader

Facilitate site visits and training All staff


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opportunities for foreign experts to offer technical assistance and troubleshooting.

through credit institutions.

Advertise online learning opportunities Internal consultant

Build business models to discuss with credit institutions

All staff

Build the capacity of local CBOs to internally promote the adoption of hydroponics as well as provide support and mentoring.

All staff

- Communication lines established with interested farmers to facilitate learning and adoption in terms of hydroponic system vendors, PV suppliers, technical resources and financing schemes through credit institutions.


All staff

Establish working channels with potential suppliers of hydroponic materials and assess skill level for expanding implementation

Team leader

Build business models to discuss with credit institutions.

All staff

Conduct visits and support targeted farmers with adoption process.

Team leader, site engineer

Facilitate site visits and training opportunities for foreign experts to offer technical assistance and troubleshooting.

All staff

2.5. Fourth Quarter (July 1 – September 30, 2015) Yields at the demo sites were encouraging and farmers were satisfied with the new farming

technique introduced by HGFI. Results and feedback at the end of the fourth quarter can be summarized in the following bullets:

o In May, 2015, the Bani Kananeh site completed the first year of hydroponic thyme production. Results obtained were excellent and farmer’s feedback positive in terms of production, water saving, produce quality and selling price. Now many thyme growers in the CBO are moving into hydroponics on their own.

o The third cycle of lettuce plantation at Zarqa site was high in quality, water saving, and selling price. The farmer is practicing hydroponics on his own now.

o Hydroponic pepper production in the Jordan Valley was better than pepper grown in soil. Water savings and higher production were the main two parameters that encouraged the farmer and the surrounding community to adopt hydroponics.

o Al Nimer farm started converting from soil to soilless culture in a big way. Results obtained so far (by the end of the fourth quarter) show that the owner is investing in hydroponics because of a falling water table and water shortage at this farm.

o Yield, water use, input savings and other economic parameters will be presented below.


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Image 15: New Hydroponic Green house at Al-Nimer Farm planted with cucumber

Because of HFGI, the hydroponic farming technique is getting exposure to the public. Field

days, workshops, presentations and personal relations between farmers were all important in getting the word out to appreciate the possibilities for hydroponic farming in Jordan.

o Many participants attended the field days during this quarter. Participants from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water and Irrigation, NCARE, and other governmental bodies were invited and participated in the field days.

o A Hydroponic Farming Workshop was held during the fourth quarter with wide participation from different stakeholders. This workshop was meant to introduce hydroponic farming systems, results and economics, and explore the international experience offered by the Dutch experts.

The US Ambassador Alice G. Wells and the USAID personnel visited Madaba demonstration site. The visit was successful and the visitors were pleased with the achievements. The owner introduced them the benefits of hydroponics and explained why he intends to convert completely into soilless culture next year. The main reason is because of falling water tables coupled with improved yield and quality of the produce, which increased his profit while having much higher water use efficiency.

Image 16: Hydroponically grown watermelon, basil and lettuce at Al-Nimer Farm


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Representatives from the USAID Work force Development project visited Bani Kananeh

thyme site. They were pleased with the women’s involvement and the potential for involvement by youth. Hydroponic farming is a clean, attractive, and profitable type of farming that will appeal to women and young people, which is expected to help reduce unemployment.

Partnerships and leverage were continued during this quarter. Meetings with JOHUD, Haya Cultural center, Arab Potash Company, and private sector highlighted the hydroponic concept and will lead to more demonstration sites in the future.

Persistent external environmental and technical drivers have necessitated the integration/modification of additional hydroponic system components.

o Oxygenation process in the Raft system for example was modified to prevent premature bolting responsible for a sub-standard crop production.

o Irrigation intervals were modified to meet the crop requirements without extra power consumption.

o Nutrient solutions were modified to meet the exact crop requirements following the recommendations of the Dutch experts and some on farm trials.

o Other technical improvements were included to maximize the efficiency of irrigation, drain collection and fertilizers mixing.

Several demands for hydroponic farming assistance were received during this quarter. Some for commercial purposes and some for small scale beginners.

Meetings with economic development representatives from the Ministry of Planning/IRADA (Enhanced Productivity Centers Program) concluded with a potential partnership agreement. This institution will be an essential component of the new marketing and dissemination strategy for hydroponic farming in Jordan.

Meetings with several leading agribusinesses in Jordan have yielded positive responses in terms of establishing a potential value chain for the demonstration sites.

A website (https://www.hgfi.org) was developed and launched.

Image 17: U.S. Ambassador visits Al-Nimer Farm


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The Fourth Quarter of the project can be characterized as a transition period where final outputs from the demonstration sites were thoroughly analyzed and disseminated. Adoption and commercialization of the hydroponic farming was noticeably expanded after the workshop and the field days conducted during this quarter. Problems and obstacles of year 1 were overcome with the help of the project experts and on farm trials. Key Work Plan Activities and Deliverables The following deliverable was prepared, completed and submitted to the AOR:

• Year 3 Work Plan: A comprehensive work plan was prepared to cover the activities, milestones, deliverables, and the schedule of each for the second year of the program timeframe (October 2015 – September 2016). This work plan was submitted to the AOR in October 2015, and will guide program activities until the end of the second year.

In addition to this deliverable, Table 6 presents the main activities carried out by the program during the Fourth Quarter with planned implementation timeframe, responsibility for implementation, and associated milestones.

Image 18: HGFI website (https://www.hgfi.org)


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Table 6: Activities, timeframe, and milestones - Fourth Quarter. Activities Start / End

Date Responsibility Milestones


July 2015

Sep 2015

All staff



- Open days broadly attended.



Preparation of outreach educational material.

All staff

Identify relevant CBOs/participants during field day events. Team leader - Training material

revised and finalized. - Contacts with suppliers




All staff


Team leader



Conduct visits and support targeted large and medium farmers to expand implementation. (Target list will be derived from field day visits and training events).


- Communication lines have been established with interested farmers to facilitate learning and adoption in terms of hydroponic system vendors, PV suppliers, technical resources, and financing schemes through credit institutions.


Team leader


All staff

Advertise online learning opportunities Internal consultant

Build business models to discuss with credit institutions

All staff - Communication lines

established with interested farmers to facilitate learning and adoption in terms of hydroponic system vendors, PV suppliers, technical resources and financing schemes through credit

Build the capacity of local CBOs to internally promote the adoption of hydroponics as well as provide support and mentoring.

All staff


All staff

Establish working channels with potential suppliers of hydroponic materials and

Team leader


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assess skill level for expanding implementation

institutions.

Build business models to discuss with credit institutions.

All staff

Conduct visits and support targeted farmers with adoption process.

Team leader +site engineer - Data has been collected

and properly collated.

- Agro-economic model is effectively utilized and produces meaningful results.

- Outreach strategy is on par with Roger’s Innovation Curve indicators.


All staff

Procure relevant data on a regular basis for all input/output parameters (i.e. CAPEX/OPEX).

Site engineer

Interpret data using an agro-economic model.

Agro-economic consultant

Compare results from Year 2 plantation period with conventional farming.

All staff

Use Roger’s Innovation Curve to analyze the effectiveness of outreach strategy.

All staff

2.6. Measuring Year 2 activities against key indicators Table 7: Key indicators for the HGFI program and rate of achievement for Year 2

Indicator Description Program Target

Y2 Achievement % of Target

I # of person days of USG-funded technical assistance in improved agricultural practices and water conservation

2000 1300 66%

II # of workshops and task forces held as a result of USG assistance

6 2 33%

III # of participants in training and field day events

150 trainees and 350

field days

38 trainees, 297 field day attendees 25%, 85%

IV % of farmers and community members interested in new technology

10%

27 out of 297 attendees interested in new technology

(10%)

100%

V # of conference presentations given as a result of USG assistance for research programs

3 100%


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Table 7 reviews the list of key indicators for the HGFI’s 3-year lifecycle and the rate of achievement during Year 2. It is important to note that these indicators are primarily focused on measuring the effectiveness of the dissemination and outreach strategy, which is the main focus of Years 2 and 3. Activities from Year 2 concentrated on creating effective, indigenously produced hydroponic systems that can be easily replicated throughout Jordan and the broader MENA region.

3. Challenges and potential solutions for Year 3 Each site has faced its own set of unique challenges that have pushed the project to explore creative solutions that accommodate local conditions and available resources. The outputs from the troubleshooting process will enable future replications of the demonstration sites to minimize trial and error, allowing the hydroponic units to begin generating marketable produce in a timely manner. Notable thematic challenges have been addressed independently along with a description of troubleshooting activities and potential solutions. During the second year, unlike the first, and as a result of experts’ involvement in the project, challenges were minimized and workflow was smoother. The following points explain some of the challenges faced during the second year of the project.

3.1. External conditions Agriculture in Jordan is characterized by its simplicity. This is clear when exploring the sector and the different production zones of the Kingdom. Most farmers are using traditional plastic tunnels without cooling or heating facilities to control the inside environment. This matter affects the production when extreme weather conditions hit the production areas. Energy cost vs produce selling prices discourage farmers to invest in environmentally controlled greenhouses, meaning that weather conditions become one of the main production factors. During Year 1 high temperature was the main cause of lettuce bolting. This year, with the help of a well-known seed company, Rijk Zwaan, a new summer variety for lettuce was introduced for hot periods without any effect on the quality. Also a new technique/timing of aeration/oxygenation was followed to eliminate the temperature effect on Raft lettuce. On the other hand, frost and cold weather also affected produce in the Highlands and in the Jordan Valley. Spring time (March and April) was rainy, windy and cold. Greenhouse covers were shredded and destroyed. Farmers were unable to protect against the wind and they had to reinstall all the damaged parts during the middle of the season. During summer, extremely hot weather was the main issue; however, hydroponic farmers were better off because water is available to plants all the time, as opposed to drip irrigated plants that wilt between irrigations. A recommendation from WUR was to install shading nets that decreases temperatures inside the greenhouse when combined with using ventilation openings on the top and sides of the greenhouses.


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3.2. Formulating nutrient solutions One of the major success factors of hydroponic systems is the nutrient solution, providing an appropriate composition of elements that meets crop requirements and gives the highest yield. During the past period, nutrient solutions preparing and formulating was fully dependent on external experts like Dr. Ahmed Moustafa and the experts from WUR. Now it is possible to prepare solutions tailored for each crop. WUR experts provided HGFI with software enabling the team to keep track of and answer demands from demonstration sites and other farmers who started growing hydroponically. The software needs some modification for Jordan conditions but the next step will be to train extension engineers from Jordanian entities to be able to give advice to hydroponic farmers.

3.3. Marketing Like the previous year, marketing is still the main constraint for all farmers. Regional circumstances are affecting the Jordanian produce price. Exporting to Eastern Europe and Russia is below the expectations because of the Syrian crisis. Ministry of Agriculture figures show the difference in exported quantities in the last 6 years and how land transportation via Syria is important to exporters and farmers. Hydroponically produced lettuce, thyme, and other vegetables showed more profit than traditional soil production systems and as follows:

1- Zarqa hydroponic lettuce marketing was easier than for lettuce grown in soil. The farmer presented his lettuce in a flower bucket covered with clear plastic wrapping. Roots were not removed as they were still functioning, keeping the lettuce fresh. This product was introduced for the first time in Amman and many people were interested in it. Selling price was 0.5 – 1.0 JD per head while soil produced lettuce was sold at 0.075JD.

Image 19: Hydroponic Lettuce at the retail shops


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2- Hydroponically produced thyme sold for 2.0 JD/kg, characterized by its clean, soil-free leaves. 3- Cucumber, tomato, and pepper were sold normally in the wholesale market. Despite the low

prices of these products, hydroponic farmers were pleased because of the high quality produce they got, the low production costs, and the low water consumption. These factors made the net profit higher than soil culture systems and the farmers started to appreciate these factors.

3.4. Technical knowledge Hydroponic vegetable production requires technical competency to correctly adjust nutrient levels, water quality conditions, high or low temperature extremes and other variables affecting production. Each of the demonstration sites encountered varying degrees of difficulty transitioning from soil-based cultivation techniques to hydroponic system management. The tomatoes and cucumbers produced at Madaba commercial farm, for instance, showed symptoms related to an imbalance in fertigation. This issue was solved by adoption of a new fertigation Excel program provided by WUR and by installing an automatic fertigation unit that could automatically control EC and pH.

During the second year, closed recirculating hydroponic systems were adapted for grow different vegetables. The closed system recirculates drainage water and thus needs a lot of care to avoid toxicity and accumulation of certain components of the solution. Several measures were adopted: (1) Frequent analysis of water to check the composition of nutrients in irrigation water and drainage water; (2) frequent changing of nutrient solution – with depleted nutrient solution diverted to a plot with fruit trees, and (3) adopting new types of fertilizers that contains no sodium or chloride to lessen the accumulation of salts.

Image 21: Fertigation Unit at Al-Nimer Farm

Image 20: Stock Solutions (A B C Tank)


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4. Integration of key priorities A key component of the HGFI’s long-term success is its contribution to other strategic development priorities in Jordan. Though the program’s focus area is water conservation and green agriculture, elements of gender equity and women’s empowerment, economic competitiveness, and workforce development are all integrated into the overarching scope. The following sections detail key contributions the project is making towards such ongoing strategies in Jordan.

4.1. Water conservation At its core, the HGFI is an input saving project that simultaneously tackles issues of resource scarcity and economic development by yielding important savings for both water and energy consumption. The higher ‘crop per drop’ ratio inherent in hydroponic systems can be attributed to reusing water runoff as well as limiting water losses associated with evaporation and percolation. Furthermore, root systems are much smaller in hydroponic systems – plants are given nutrients directly and in exact proportions - which decreases competition for root space and allows plants to use more energy generating leaf mass. As a result, more plants can be cultivated per square meter, which reduces required inputs per plant and increases land use efficiency, subsequently increasing net profit. For example in Madaba, saving water was the main driver for the farmer to convert more than 80 greenhouses into hydroponic production -- saving 70 percent of the water under previous practices. The owner of the Madaba farm discovered the potential of hydroponics at his farm in only four months. HGFI started the demonstration in March, 2015 and by July, savings and benefits were clear enough for the farmer to invest significantly in hydroponics from his own resources.

4.2. Economic competitiveness and rural development The Bani Kananeh CBO is illustrating the power of demonstration sites and the benefits from field days and visits conducted at the site. Several visits were carried out during the second year of the project. Mercy Corps, Work force Development WfD, Jordan Local Enterprise Support Project, FAO, Agricultural Engineers Association, NCARE and other projects and entities were very interested in hydroponics. HGFI demonstrated the potential of hydroponics for different segments of the Jordanian society; this clean and profitable farming system is an attractive profession that could be introduced through many projects to enhance the involvement of women and youth in economic and rural development.

Image 22: Work force Development (WfD) visits Bani Kananeh Hydroponic Thyme site


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The HGFI program has the potential to contribute to one of the major partnership initiatives between USAID and Jordan by introducing training-for-employment opportunities that will not only increase the potential for targeted groups to procure better jobs, but will also promote entrepreneurship among small and medium farmers who are looking to find innovative ways to improve their regional and international competiveness. Furthermore, the HGFI program also seeks to alleviate the stigma associated with professional agriculture, which correspondingly broadens the employment options for Jordanians.

4.3. Greening agriculture Augmenting the agricultural sector’s access to renewable energy has become a prominent development priority in recent years as farmers seek cost-effective methods of becoming competitive in global markets. Such advancements will not only intensify agricultural production, but will also increase the income-generating capacity of farmers who face significant market barriers in terms of technology access and financing. In Jordan, the issue of energy poses a significant challenge given that Jordan imports in excess of 96 percent of its energy needs, which accounted for 24 percent of the GDP in 20129. Promoting domestic energy independence is thus a key priority of the Jordanian government, which is focusing on activities that promote demand-side management, particularly the conversion to solar power10, when appropriate and economically justified. While photovoltaic integration remains an essential component of the HGFI program scope, during Year 2 the energy consumption of each demonstration was not high enough to warrant an alternative energy source given existing input requirements.

4.4. Gender participation The HGFI program has made a concerted effort to integrate a strong gender component into program design, and implementation activities. Addressing gender inequalities in this manner strengthens the long-term effectiveness of the project scope and expands the range of beneficiaries. Previous research conducted by the Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services (MEAS), in partnership with USAID, concluded that women in the Middle East lack access to extension advisory services due to several factors including cultural barriers, limited time for participation in training events, absence of land tenure, and little to no opportunities to access credit. As a result, women receive less help than male

9 World Bank (http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.IMP.CONS.ZS). 10 United States Agency for International Development (USAID).Country Development Cooperation Strategy - Jordan (2013-

2017). Rep. USAID, Nov. 2012. Web. 18 Oct. 2014. <http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1883/CDCSJordan.pdf>.

Image 23: Women of JV examining hydroponic thyme


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farmers, which further constrains their agricultural productivity and livelihoods11. In Jordan, MEAS concluded that the presence of strong social capital in the form of a community-based organizations or established women’s groups empower women to take advantage of advisory service opportunities and “act collectively” towards a common objective or development goal12. With this in mind, the HGFI seeks to strengthen established women’s organizations by including them as primary stakeholders for the project. In Bani Kananeh, the women’s CBO has already begun actively disseminating hydroponic technology to its female association members. Similarly in Madaba, the HGFI project supported Al Areesh CBO by supplying a hydroponic system and a greenhouse in addition to an on-the-job training session to start their thyme production project correctly. Now this CBO is running the project by its members and looking forward to having more new sites. The same approach was used in the Jordan Valley. Wadi Al Ordon association was supported by HGFI to implement and operate a hydroponic system to produce thyme. Now they are running their project on their own.

5. Results & Economics of Hydroponic Farming Systems Despite the relatively high initial costs for hydroponic system installation, the second year experiments and demonstration sites showed that this type of farming is economically feasible in terms of return of capital and use of resources. Thyme, lettuce and pepper crops have completed a full cycle/season this year. This allowed the project to analyze the actual results obtained from different sites and for different crops.

5.1. Thyme Hydroponically produced thyme showed great potential to save water while maximizing produce quantity and quality. Table 8 shows a summary of the results in comparison to the farmer’s method of cultivation under drip irrigation in soil. From the table above, it is clear that hydroponic farming saves water much more than soil grown methods. In addition, productivity and income per square meter were increased. Parameters used to compare were the most important for any farmer or researcher. Other parameters could be summarized as follows:

1- Manpower This trial was conducted at a household where manpower is difficult to be evaluated as the owner herself is running the whole operation. But in general this type of cultivation is not demanding

11 Manfre, Cristina, Rubin, Deborah, Allen, Andrea, Summerfield, Gale, Colverson, Kathy, & Akeredolu, Mercy. (2012). Reducing

the gender gap in agricultural extension and advisory services: How to find the best fit for men and women farmers. In: Seebens, H. (2011). Intra-household bargaining, gender roles in agriculture and how to promote welfare enhancing changes.(Working Paper No. 11-10). Frankfurt: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

12 Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services. (2012). Extension and advisory service delivery for women's groups in Jordan: Assessing competencies and building social capital - MEAS. Retrieved from http://www.meas-extension.org/meas-offers/pilot-projects/gender-research-jordan.


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compared to cultivation in soil. Adoption would be easy for unemployed graduates, community members, women and youth. Table 8: Thyme demonstration results at Bani Kananeh Parameter HGFI soilless

culture Soil culture Notes

Area (m2) 145 324 Number of plants 800 1,100

Planting density (plant/m2) 5.5 3.4 60% increase in land use efficiency

Water used ( m3) 54 216

Water used liter/ m2 372 666 44% water savings

Production (kg) 240 100

Production kg /m2 1.65 0.3 Five folds production in soilless culture /m2

Selling prices (average) JD/kg 1.75 1.75

Water productivity liter/kg 225 2,160

Table 9: Scaling of results for thyme

Parameter Hydroponics Traditional

Area m2 1,000 1,000 Number of plants 5,500 3,400 Water used (m3 ) 371 666

Water used per m2 (m3) 0.371 0.666

Production (kg) 1650 196

Production per m2 (kg) 1.65 0.3

Income (JD) 2,887 343

2- Energy Energy is essential for farmers to conserve in order to increase their profits. In farming the main energy user is irrigation. Decreasing water used for production means decreasing the energy bill. At this farm, saving 34% of the water decreases the energy needs.

3- Pesticides Planting inside a protected green house (plastic or insect net) will minimize/eliminate the need for pesticides. Also planting in media other than soil will eliminate the soil borne diseases and hence eliminate the need for protection against soil pathogens and insects.

4- Other fixed parameters Land rent, greenhouses, service rooms, stores, etc. are equivalent for the two cultivation methods.


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5- Other variable parameters Seeds, transplants, harvesting, transportation, etc. are equivalent for both methods of cultivation. Commercializing and scaling demonstration results The results of this site could be augmented and scaled to show the economics at larger areas in commercial farms. Table 9 shows these results for a single greenhouse (1000 m2).

5.2. Lettuce Another crop produced hydroponically is lettuce. It showed a great ability to save water and maximize the quality and quantity of production. Table 10 shows the results in comparison to the farmer’s method of cultivation in soil. It is easy to see the importance of hydroponic farming in saving water. Table 10: Lettuce demonstration results at Zarqa

Parameter HGFI soilless culture Soil culture Percentages Area (m2) 288 1,000 Number of plants 4,800 4,800 Planting density, plant/m2 17 5 340 % Water used( m3) 28 200

Water used per plant (liter) 5.83 41.66 86 % decreased

Sold production (head) 2,000 4,500

Fertilizers used (JD) 51 70

Selling prices (average) JD/head 0.5 -1.0 0.075 – 0.1

Water productivity JD/m3 39.2 2.25 Table 11: Scaling of results for Lettuce

Capital cost 5,895 JD

Annual capital cost after depreciation 1,300 JD

Possible number of cycles per year 6

Operational costs per year 3,660

Total costs per year 4,960

Production per cycle (90%) plants 12,960

Selling price, JD 0.15

Revenue per year, JD 11,646

Net profit 6,686

Payback period 1 year


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Other parameters are summarized as follows:

1- Manpower. This trial was conducted on a commercial farm. Farm managers hire workers for a range of activities and for all greenhouses and crops so it was not possible to disaggregate the labor needs for this lettuce crop. Nevertheless, the manpower needed this year for hydroponics was similar to the manpower used for the normal soil cultivation. Because the hydroponic set up is now established, next year the hydroponic set up should compare favorably to the traditional cultivation because there will be no need for solar sterilization, plowing, weeding, mulch covering, pre-planting irrigation, and no chisel plow weeding, which will translate into savings of money and manpower.

2- Energy At this farm, saving 86% of the water used will essentially decrease the energy needs for pumping.

3- Pesticides Some rots appeared on the crown part of the lettuce head but this was managed with an application of fungicides.

4- Other fixed parameters Land rent, greenhouses, service rooms, stores, etc. are the same for the two cultivation methods.

5- Other variable parameters Seeds, transplants, harvesting, transportation, etc. are the same for both methods of cultivation. Fertilizer use under hydroponics vs. soil culture at this demonstration Consumption of fertilizers under hydroponics was lower than in soil for several reasons:

• Deep percolation and leaching of nutrients is prevented because of the raft hydroponic system. • Fertilizer dose was calculated according to plant needs.

Commercializing and scaling demonstration results The results of this site could be augmented and scaled to show the economics at larger areas in commercial farms. The table below shows these results for 1000 m2.

5.3. Pepper Pepper also showed the same great results in saving water and maximizing quality and quantity of production, all the results are shown in the table below which summarizes the trial results compared to the normal soil farming method. From Table 12, one can see the importance of hydroponic farming in saving water.


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Table 12: Pepper demonstration results at Jordan Valley Parameter HGFI soilless culture Soil culture Percentages Area (m2) 192 240 Number of plants 586 870 Water used ( m3) 70 190 Water used per plant (liter) 119 218 45.4 % decreased

Production (kg) 780 827 Production per plant (k g) 1.33 0.95 40 % increased

Fertilizer used per plant (JD) 0.086 0.027

Fertilizers used (JD) 50.5 23.8 Selling prices (average) JD/kg 0.6 0.6

Water productivity liter/kg 90 220

Water productivity JD/m3 6.7 2.73

Water productivity kg/m3 11.14 4.35 Table 13: Scaling of results for Pepper

Other parameters are summarized as follows:

1- Manpower This trial was conducted on a commercial farm. Farm managers hire workers for a range of activities and for all greenhouses and crops so it was not possible to disaggregate the labor needs for this pepper crop. Nevertheless, the manpower needed this year for hydroponics was

Parameter Hydroponics Traditional

Area (m2) 5000 (10 GH) 5000 (10 GH) Number of plants 13,000 13,000 Water used (m3) 1,553 2,839

Water used per plant (m3) 0.12 0.22

Production (kg) 17,304 12,358

Production per plant (kg) 1.33 0.95

Fertilizer used per plant (JD) 0.086 0.027

Fertilizers used (JD) 1120 356

Income (JD) 10,382 74,145


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similar to the manpower used for the normal soil cultivation. Because the hydroponic set up is now established, next year the hydroponic set up should compare favorably to the traditional cultivation because there will be no need for solar sterilization, plowing, weeding, mulch covering, pre-planting irrigation, and no chisel plow weeding, which will translate into savings of money and manpower.

2- Energy In hydroponic farming, decreasing water used for production means decreasing the energy bill. At this farm, saving 45% of the water will essentially decrease the energy needs.

3- Pesticides The same pests will attack the crop at both hydroponic and pepper in soil culture. Soil-borne diseases did not appear this season due to moderate climate conditions in the summer and very cold weather in winter; however, farmers normally pay not less than 100 JD per application to control soil-borne diseases in soil. These savings will be achieved in some seasons by adopting soil-lless culture.

4- Other fixed parameters -- Similar to the thyme and lettuce. 5- Other variable parameters – Similar to the thyme and lettuce.

Fertilizer use in hydroponics vs. soil culture at this demonstration Consumption of fertilizers at the hydroponic plot was higher than the soil plot for the following reasons:

• Water used for hydroponics was treated and purified through R/O plant. The salinity after treatment was 0.4 dS/m.

• Water used for soil plots was treated waste water from King Talal Reservoir (KTR) with total soluble salts of not less than 1150 ppm (1.8 dS/m). Treated wastewater as a source of irrigation water is delivered by Jordan Valley Authority (JVA). According to JVA, this type of water is very rich in essential elements that benefit plant growth. This reduces the quantity of fertilizers needed. JVA conducts seminars and workshops for farmers to explain how to calculate the available elements in water and soil to account for them in a fertilization program.

• Soil is rich with elements. Fertilizers should be added when soil is exhausted but at this farm, due to previous seasons’ fertilization processes and limited water availability for leaching purposes, fertilizers had accumulated in soil, which reduced the amount needed this season.

• Even with this increase in fertilizer consumption the profit was higher with far less water under hydroponic conditions.

Commercializing and scaling demonstration results Table 13 shows the scaled up results for a situation using 10 greenhouses (5000 m2). In summary, because of the water savings, increasing quality and quantity production with decreased inputs and less labor, it must be concluded that hydroponic farming is a great solution for agriculture in Jordan and abroad.


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6. Outreach and dissemination activities 6.1. Outreach activities

The Hydroponic Green Farming Initiative (HGFI) conducts field days to demonstrate the technique of growing different vegetables and herbs hydroponically to local farmers and CBOs within the targeted communities. HGFI targets commercial farmers in the Highlands and the Jordan Valley as well as households involved in local active CBOs to spread the knowledge of hydroponics farming techniques among Jordanian farmers and interested practitioners. The project works with different stakeholders including commercial and smallholder farmers, and ensures that key actors within the agriculture sector in Jordan are involved in the project activities and are informed about the demonstration site production and economic feasibility. Field days help overcome the barriers of expanding hydroponic green systems for both commercial farms and households. These barriers include technical and operational knowledge, access to finance, availability of supplies, access to market channels and expanding awareness to consumers. Since the project started in 2014, six demonstration sites were developed, three on commercial farms and three households demonstrations. Our sites are located in Bani Kananeh, Zarqa, Madaba and the JV.

Field Days Events Table 14: Locations and attendees’ count of the different field day events

Date Location Type of Demonstration No. of attendees Description of the activity

Aug 24, 2014 Bani Kananeh Thyme - Household 23 CBOs - grantees of USAID/ CBIWDM Project implemented by Mercycorps

Dec 18, 2014 Jordan Valley Pepper - Commercial 20 Representatives of the Agricultural Sector in Palestine

Jan 28, 2015 Zarqa Lettuce - Commercial 22 Field day to the local community and commercial farmers in the area

Mar 17, 2015 Bani Kananeh Thyme - Household 35 Field day to the local community

Mar 29, 2015 Jordan Valley Thyme - Household 31 Field day to the local community

April 1, 2015 Jordan Valley Pepper - Commercial 54 Field day to students of Agriculture Faculty – Jerash University

April 14, 2015 Jordan Valley Pepper - Commercial 30

Agricultural engineers and farmers from several governmental and private entities across the JV.

May 16, 2015 Jordan Valley Pepper - Commercial 17

A demonstration event as part of the 3-week annual training course conducted by ICARDA

232


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US Ambassador Alice G. wells Involvement in HGFI Table 15: Locations and attendees’ count during U.S. Ambassador Visits to HGFI

Date Location Event Attendees Description of the activity

Feb 28, 2015 Jordan Valley

Commercial Hydroponic Pepper farm

20 Visit by the US Ambassador and USAID Mission Director to water project in the JV

May 9, 2015 U.S Embassy, Amman

Reception in the honor of U.S. secretary of Agriculture

-

Hosted a reception featuring locally-grown hydroponic and organic vegetables, in honor of the U.S Secretary of Agriculture.

May 28, 2015 Al-Ma’ayeer, Amman Hydroponically Barley production unit 20

Demonstration event to inquire on better methods to grow green barley hydroponically

July 29, 2015 Madaba, Al-Nimer Farm Hydroponic vegetable farm 25 Visit by the U.S. Ambassador.

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Work Shops Table 16: Attendees’ count of the workshop

Date Location Event No. of attendees Description of the activity

Aug 20, 2015 Amman Workshop 43 Hydroponic workshop, challenges and opportunities

6.2. Knowledge dissemination activates Over 2015, as a result of the field days, many interested entities and commercial farmers sought the project technical advice to build their own hydroponics systems. Public schools in Bani Kananeh and the Jordan Valley were interested in having hydroponics farming system to grow thyme to build an educational demonstration site for students and teachers to increase their knowledge about hydroponics farming and to generate income for the benefit of the school. The project was also contacted by large-scale farmers who are interested to move into hydroponics and are keen to invest in the new system while getting the necessary technical assistance from the HGFI team. Five farmers approached HGFI and are currently getting technical advice for a conversion to hydroponics. The project team is supporting one of the suppliers for hydroponic barley systems who are interested in expanding to producing vegetables hydroponically. Providing technical assistance to large-scale farmers and local communities The HGFI project provides technical assistance to large-scale farmers who are interested and willing to invest in the adoption of hydroponics in their farms as well as to women HHs and schools to increase


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their knowledge about hydroponic farming. Table 17 presents a profile of 27 farmers who approached the project for advice. Also, it includes names of two public schools that the project will support through building a demonstration for growing thyme in the school backyard. Table 17: Persons who contacted HGFI for technical support on hydroponic farming

1- Mr. Mohammad Shamout

Farm Location Crop Farm size Source of water

South-west of the Queen Alia Airport Olive trees 310 Dunums 2- Mr. Maher Al-Dbais


Naour – Amman Olive trees and other fruit trees - -

3- Mr. Basem Masarouh


Madaba Not planted 30 Dunums Ground well

4- Mr. Faisal Abu Ennab


Kofranjeh – Ajlun Olive trees - Spring

5- Mr. Haytham Al-Loubani


Halabat- Zarqa Was planted with olive trees and currently it’s not planted 800 Dunums Ground well

6- Ezreat Primary School


Bani Kananeh Not yet planted 100 m2 JVA

7- M’adi Secondary School for Girls


Jordan Valley Not yet planted - JVA

8- Maayeer/Hydroponic fodder and vegetables production


Madaba Vegetables 40 Dunums Ground well

9- Mohammad Abu Sido


Jordan Valley Vegetables 1000 Dunums R.O & JVA

10- Mohammed Khalaf


Amman Vegetables House Hold Ground Well

11- Mahmoud Said


Irbid Vegetables House Hold WAJ


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12- Hisham Al Taji


Jordan Valley Cucumber 60000 m2 R.O & JVA

13- Nash’at Fakhoury


Baqa’a Vegetables 10 Dunums WAJ

14- Eng. Ahmad Sabra


Saudi Arabia Vegetables 40 Dunums R.O

15- Nasser Abu Al Ragheb


Balqa’a Vegetables - 16- Al Wala Association


Madaba Barley - Ground Well

17- Samir Audeh


Amman Vegetables 6 Dunums Ground Well

18- Tareq Al Sayegh


Jordan Valley Banana 40 Dunums Ground Well

19- Samer De’aja


Amman Cucumber - Ground Well

20- Mazen darwish


Aqaba Leafy crops House Hold Aqaba Water

21- IRADA/MOPIC


Madaba & Kerak Vegetables House Hold WAJ

22- Salameh Atiyat


Amman Lettuce 2000 m2 Ground Well

23- Joseph / investor in restaurants


Naour Lettuce and Tomato 1000 m2 Husban River

24- Odai Shawahin


North Jordan Valley Vegetables 30 Dunums JVA


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25- Wael Mehyar


Amman Vegetables 10 Dunums Tanks

26- Issa Omari


Irbid Vegetables House Hold WAJ

27- Omar Al-Raqad


Amman Vegetables House Hold WAJ

6.3. Media Coverage During the second year, many media outlets took an interest in HGFI activities in terms of newspaper articles, TV spots and reports on different websites. For example • The Pepper Demonstration Site in Jordan Valley

The U.S. Ambassador to Jordan, Alice Wells, visited the pepper demonstration site in the Jordan Valley on February 28, 2015. She was escorted by the Minister of Water and Irrigation, Dr. Hazem Al-Naser and the Secretary General for the Jordan Valley Authority, Mr. Sa’ad Abu Hammour.


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The table below shows the newspapers coverage’s for the event:

The Pepper Demonstration Site in Jordan Valley

Rum News March 2, 2015 http://www.rumonline.net/index.php?page=article&id=198362 Hawa Jordan March 2, 2015 http://hawajordan.net/print.php?nid=50712 Al Ghad Newspaper March 2, 2015 http://alghad.com/articles/855785-99 Al Dostour Newspaper March 2, 2015 http://www.addustour.com/17507/html Jordan Times March 2, 2015 http://jordantimes.com/us-ambassador-visits-jordan-valley-water-projects USAID website Feb 28, 2015 http://arabic.jordan.usembassy.gov/pr_wells_jordan_valley_030115.html

• The Lettuce Demonstration Site in Zarqa:

As a part of the support service for Jordanian farmers and water sector in general, a field day was been set up in Zarqa for a lettuce demonstration site with the aim of raising the awareness of this type of agriculture in a country suffering from water scarcity. See the newspapers clippings for this event:

The Lettuce Demonstration Site in Zarqa

Al Rai Feb. 1, 2015 http://www.alrai.com/article/695370.html Rum News Jan 29, 2015 http://www.rumonline.net/index.php?page=article&id=193800

• Farmers Offering their Hydroponics Crops at the U.S. Embassy

Under the patronage of the U.S. Ambassador to Jordan Alice Wells on the occasion of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack’s visit to Jordan, in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akef Al-Zu’bi and the Minister of Finance, Dr. Umayya Tuqan and a number of Jordan’s agriculture producers; a reception was held at the U.S. Embassy for the Jordanian farmers to expose their Hydroponic and Organic agricultural production.

http://www.rumonline.net/index.php?page=article&id=198362

http://hawajordan.net/print.php?nid=50712

http://alghad.com/articles/855785-99

http://www.addustour.com/17507/html

http://jordantimes.com/us-ambassador-visits-jordan-valley-water-projects

http://arabic.jordan.usembassy.gov/pr_wells_jordan_valley_030115.html

http://www.alrai.com/article/695370.html

http://www.rumonline.net/index.php?page=article&id=193800


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Below is the link where the event was mentioned in the newspaper:

Farmers Offering their Hydroponics Crops at the U.S. Embassy

Petra Newspaper May. 9, 2015 http://petra.gov.jo/Public_News/Nws_NewsDetails.aspx?Site_Id=2&lang=1&NewsID=195071&CatID=13

• A Successful Experience in the Provision of Water and Increased Production Hydroponics is a successful initiative for farmers, contributing to improving production and reducing water use:

A Successful Experience in the Provision of Water and Increased Production

Al Madinah Newspaper

2015 http://www.almadenahnews.com/mobile/article/424139

http://petra.gov.jo/Public_News/Nws_NewsDetails.aspx?Site_Id=2&lang=1&NewsID=195071&CatID=13

http://petra.gov.jo/Public_News/Nws_NewsDetails.aspx?Site_Id=2&lang=1&NewsID=195071&CatID=13


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• Hydroponic Green Farming Initiative Workshop:

Hydroponic farming maximizes production and decreases inputs: a workshop took place on August 20, 2015 that showed results of increased crop production and increased frequency of harvest within the same year. Below is the link that gives more details about the workshop:

A Hydroponic Green Farming Initiative Workshop

Al-Rai Newspaper Aug. 20, 2015 http://www.alrai.com/article/732704.html

Eng. Raed Daoud during his opening remarks Dr. Scott Christiansen at the opening session


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The following is a description of spending during the past and current reporting periods:

• Direct Labor- includes salaries and other allowable fringe benefits for the project staff. ECO team included the program director (Ra'ed Daoud), the Project Manager (Laith Al Waked), Agriculture Engineers (Ala’a Hassan) and (Rand Ammari), and the administrative and logistics support staff. In addition to members left during the past year.

• Travel and Transportation-includes international travels from the first quarter till the third (from October - June), without having any regional travels.

• Supplies and Equipment - includes procurement of all materials needed for the installation of hydroponic greenhouses across the sites, water quality laboratory tests, pH & EC meters along with the material needed to carry out the work at the sites; tools and instruments, polyethylene sheets, agricultural nets and shades, growth media, water tanks, water meters, pumps, polystyrene boards, wooden foundations.

• Proposed Subcontractors- During the last 2 quarters (from April - September). • Other Direct Costs - Including Consultants and program activity costs. • Other Indirect Costs - Including procedures followed for procurements of supplies and

equipment according to USAID regulations and procedures. All equipment was purchased after a doing a market review and obtaining at least three offers for each item purchased.

6.1. Management and administrative issues There were two new additions to the Project Staff: Eng. Ala’ Hasan, an agricultural engineer with seven years of experience in the field of irrigation techniques and management in Jordan and in the gulf region, and Eng. Rand Ammari who joined the team recently in September. Eng. Taha Abu Laban and Eng. Abdelrazzak Al Tawaha left the project to other opportunities during the year. The team now is composed of:

1- Eng. Laith Al-Waked, project manager 2- Eng. Ala Hasan, field operations responsible 3- Eng. Rand Ammari, communication and outreach responsible 4- Eng. Saif Nuimat, trainee from Agricultural Engineers Association 5- Mr. Mohammad Abu Shaqra, driver 6- Administrative staff from ECO Consult.


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6.2. Upcoming activities In addition to the key activities addressed in the following section, activities for the First Quarter of Year 3 will include assessing priority areas and contacting relevant stakeholders for the upcoming hydroponic outreach campaign, preparing the field day presentation schedule and educational material for both the outreach campaign and training seminar, exploring hydroponic system suppliers and creating a market network for potential users, designating a community focal point for troubleshooting and technical support. HGFI will send trainers from Ministry of Agriculture, private sector, farmers and project members to WUR in the Netherlands to be trained on hydroponic techniques. Professionally trained participants and project staff will be better able to transfer knowledge and techniques to trainees here in Jordan to overcome the technical barriers and encourage farmers to adopt hydroponics. At the end of 2016, 140 trainees will have attended training sessions that aim to focus on teaching the design, installation, operation techniques and methods to ensure maximum productivity and quality of crops. These trainees will receive appropriate training from professional instructors to gain the necessary knowledge regarding hydroponic systems. Workshop sessions will be held in Amman and other cities to target different types of farmers and household members about hydroponic farming cycles, including an introductory workshop that was already held, a comparative analysis workshop, risk management, marketing, lessons and disclosure sessions. These workshops will allow farmers, stakeholders, representatives from the affiliated ministries including the Ministries of Water and Irrigation (MoWI), Environment (MoEnv) and Agriculture (MoA), to become aware of the HGFI and the immense advantages of hydroponics in a water scarce country. Building public and private partnerships: the HGFI team aims to place more effort on creating a greater collaboration with the private sector in Jordan, such as JOHUD and APC, who will be able to promote and/or fund hydroponic projects across the country. This will allow HGFI to target a larger section of the population and expand the prospect of hydroponics as a water-saving farming method. The following partnership plans are intended to take place:

• Al-Mafraq, through JOHUD: converting a soil grown thyme farm to a hydroponic farm, while working to empower women

• Al-Mafraq, through JOHUD: introducing vegetables, tomatoes and cucumbers grown hydroponically

• Ghor Al-Safi, through APC: introducing lettuce and potentially other vegetable crops • Haya Cultural Center, through APC: introducing hydroponics techniques to the center’s visitors


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6.3. Concluding Remarks During the first 2 years of implementation, the HGFI was successful in taking significant steps towards the HGFI’s objectives. While much remains to be done in the coming year with regard to communication and outreach. The achievements of Year 2 have already produced a solid foundation to build upon. Despite its issues with environmental conditions during Year 1, the lettuce crop in Zarqa yielded very promising results in terms of input savings and production in the second year. At other locations such as the JV and Madaba, production and input savings were highly appreciated by farmers and communities. Adoption of hydroponic farming increased during the second year, which indicates the effectiveness of outreach activities in the field and the potential for hydroponics in Jordan. Drawing on the lessons from the past year, there will be a greater focus on consolidating progress in key areas by: Promoting hydroponic technology through established networks with farmers and targeted

communities throughout the Highlands, especially Mafraq and Azraq, where the highest over-drafting from groundwater wells takes place.

Demonstrating the feasibility of hydroponics in terms of input savings and increased yields through field days at HGFI program sites.

Building bridges between traditional agricultural knowledge and hydroponic systems through educational material and training exercises.

Ensuring prospective farmers have the ability to access hydroponic technology, in terms of both credit financing and systems knowledge.

Focusing on vulnerable demographic groups, namely women and youth, when designing key outreach and dissemination activities.

Strengthening HGFI partnerships with government agricultural and private sector entities, and established agribusinesses in Jordan to increase knowledge sharing and expand marketing opportunities.

7. Annexes 7.1. Annex 1: Summary of Year 3 Work Plan Activities

Task 1: Implementation lessons learned from Year 2

Activity 1: Assess crop selected for each site and change variety when necessary

Activity 2: Add additional technical complexity to hydroponic systems as needed

Task 2: Demonstration visits and field days – all levels


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Activity 1: Assess priority areas and contact relevant stakeholders for outreach campaign (commercial/HH).

Activity 2: Generate event schedule and field day presentation outline.

Activity 3: Preparation of outreach educational material.

Task 3: Launch hydroponic systems training series – all levels

Activity 1: Contact relevant participants for field day events.

Activity 2: Conduct training sessions for all levels.

Activity 3: Involve community focal point (experts) for trouble shooting and technical support in cooperation with the project.

Task 4: Implement integrated hydroponic-PV commercial farming system at new site

Activity 1: Contract signing with Haya Cultural Center.

Activity 2: Design of integrated system given site assessment.

Activity 3: Analyze budget and financial requirements.

Activity 4: Commence installation and operation activities

Task 5: Updating HGFI interactive website and Facebook page

Activity 1: Regular updating of events, results, success stories, achievements and news.

Activity 2: Upload useful data for effective outreach and adoption.

Task 6: Technical assistance, mentoring and support for interested commercial farmers (medium and large)

Activity 1: Conduct visits and support targeted large and medium farmers to expand implementation.

Activity 2: Communicate with potential hydroponic suppliers to build capacity and offer extension services to the sector.

Activity 3: Facilitate site visits and training opportunities for foreign experts to offer technical assistance and troubleshooting.

Activity 4: Advertise online learning opportunities.

Activity 5: Build business models to discuss with credit institutions.

Task 7: Technical assistance, mentoring and support for interested household farms


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Activity 1: Build the capacity of local CBOs to internally promote the adoption of hydroponics as well as provide support and mentoring.

Activity 2: Communicate with suppliers to build capacity and offer extension services to the sector.

Activity 3: Build business models to discuss with credit institutions.

Activity 4: Conduct visits and support targeted farmers with adoption process.

Activity 5: Facilitate site visits and training opportunities for foreign experts to offer technical assistance and troubleshooting.

Task 8: Analysis of plantation and outreach strategy at the commercial level

Activity 1: Collect relevant data on a regular basis for all input/output parameters (i.e. CAPEX/OPEX).

Activity 2: Interpret data using an agro-economic model.

Activity 3: Compare results from Year 2 plantation period with conventional farming.

Activity 4: Assess/modify the effectiveness of outreach strategy.

Activity 5: Generate and develop partnerships within USAID projects and other local institutes.

Task 9: Analysis of plantation and outreach strategy at the household level

Activity 1: Collect relevant data on a regular basis for all input/output parameters (i.e. CAPEX/OPEX).

Activity 2: Compare results from Year 2 plantation period with conventional farming.

Activity 3: Assess/modify the effectiveness of outreach strategy.

Activity 4: Generate and develop partnerships within USAID projects and other local institutes.

Task 10: Dissemination of Year 2 results

Activity 1: Conduct workshop showcasing project site results/benefits.

Activity 2: Incorporate lessons learned from Year 2 into project website.

Activity 3: Generate success stories for marketing and outreach.

7.2. Annex 2: List of Suppliers No Supplier Location Phone no.


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Polyethylene for GH covering and for basins lining

1- Daoudco Baq’a 064725003 2- Al Allaf est. Amman 0798300600 3- Al Shera’ for irrigation equipment Amman 064777360

Fertilizers and pesticides

1- Unifert Amman 064124570 2- Agrimatco/Megdadi Amman 065939890 3- Arab Group for Ag production and supply Amman 064129639

Irrigation systems (pipes, fittings, filtration system, etc)

1- National drip Amman 064129988 2- Adritec Amman 065603779 3- Al Wasa’el Amman 0796102010 4- Al-Bargouthi Baq’a 0795371127

Irrigation pumps

1- Afaneh/ Pentax Amman 064782698 2- Al Hafer / Pedrollo Amman 064778087 3- Sudqi Nayef/Lowara Amman 065050838

EC/pH testing devices and controllers

1- Nabil Ayyoub Wakileh Amman 06 465 0574 2- Al Madhoun Amman 06 4611863 3- Al Qawafel est. Amman 0796816600 4- Autogrwo systems New Zealand autogrow.com

Fertigation Unit

1- Al-Bargouthi baqaa 0795371127 2- Fai and Mai Amman 065354075 3- Al Qawafel est. Amman 0796816600

General items

No Supplier Location product Phone no 1- Al Taqadom est Amman Plumping fittings 0777337222 2- Ard and ward Amman Electronic valves and general Ag products 0799741410 3- Al Jabali factory Amman Plastic &polystyrene containers 064129193 4- Themar est Amman Perlite 0777968899 5- Farouq bashabsheh Al Ramtha Tuff 0776302258

Green House skeleton

1- Sukhtian company Amman 064165060 2- Rafiq Ulayyan Jordan Valley 0795598689 3- Ra’fat Abu Ahmad Jordan Valley 0799901101


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6- National Insulation Amman Polystyrene boards 064023353 7- Al madar Ag co Amman Insect and shade nets 064124461/2 8- Maayear Amman Hydroponic systems 065607004 9- Albarghouthi Amman Clay Pallets 0795371127

Documents

HYDROPONIC GREEN FARMING INITIATIVE PROGRAM 2014-SEP-2015-Final.pdf · It was prepared by Eco Consult under the Hydroponic Green Farming Initiative ... Hydroponic Lettuce at the retail