ANJARA - Farmers across the country have started harvesting their olives amid concerns by some about the future of the historical "Roman" olive tree, which is considered a national treasure.
According to Anjara resident Faleh Smadi, Roman olive trees are valuable and known for producing the best quality of oil and their outstanding resistance to pests and diseases, but some people are unaware of this and cut them down or neglect to give them the required care.
Describing these trees as his best friends, the 72-year-old told The Jordan Times that he grew up with them.
"I used to roam the area with my flock of sheep and climb their strong branches. The place was full of them and sometimes I couldn't find a path, because the trees were everywhere," Smadi said, adding that, unfortunately, their numbers have been dropping and they now face threats of extinction.
"We are ignorant about how to replant new Roman trees; although many attempts have been made, none succeeded," Smadi said, adding that the trees are so-called because they date back to the Roman era.
"Unfortunately I am not a land owner... If I were, I would treat the trees gently and take care of them as if they were my children," said Smadi who has erected a fence around his lone Roman olive tree to protect it from his grandchildren.
"I advise those who are fortunate enough to own this unique species to imagine what their condition would be if they lose them," he noted, as he affectionately hugged his tree.
Abu Hani, also from Anjara, invited the concerned parties - including the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Centre for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer (NCARTT) - to help him preserve his 11 Roman trees.
He said the Anjara Women's Cooperative (AWC) implemented a project two years ago to protect these historical trees, but after it ended, none of the concerned parties followed up on the issue.
"Many farmers do not know the correct methods of taking care of these trees. We wish the ministry could provide them with training and help maintain them... Many farmers used to cut their trees and sell them to city residents, who plant them in their gardens for decorative purposes," he said.
AWC Chairperson Aseel Siouf told The Jordan Times that they provided 50 farmers with training on how to take care of the historical trees.
"We tried to save as many of these trees as we could. They are valuable, but if neglected their production drops," Siouf noted.
She explained that there wasn't enough funding to extend the project and some farmers could not receive training.
According to Saleh Shdeifat, director of NCARTT's olive research directorate, illegal logging was common in the Jerash and Ajloun governorates.
"People used to cut down these trees and sell them as heritage items, but the problem is now controlled to an extent with the help of agriculture directorates in these governorates," Shdeifat told The Jordan Times.
He noted that the actual number of these historical trees in the Kingdom is still unknown, and no census has ever been conducted due to the high cost of such a project.
"We submitted a project proposal to the ministry to conduct a census across the Kingdom, and hope to implement it next year," Shdeifat explained.
He added that although farmers cannot cultivate Roman tree saplings, the ministry succeeded in doing so under certain climatic conditions, adding that May is the best time for planting them.
By Khetam Malkawi
© Jordan Times 2008
