Agriculture

Jordan's agriculture suffered a severe blow after the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank, as this area contains almost half of the country's agricultural land.

Before the war with Israel, the West Bank produced 25% of Jordan's grain, 40% of the vegetables and 70% of the fruit produce. The percentage of the work force employed in agriculture declined from 37% in 1965 to 7% in 1987.

Only 5% of Jordan's remaining land is arable and irrigation is often a problem, as the entire area is dependent on a fluctuating rainfall.

The major grain crops are wheat and barley, but these need to be heavily supplemented by foreign imports. Some fruit crops are grown for export; these include olives, figs almonds, grapes and apricots. Main vegetable crops are tomatoes and cucumbers. The major livestock animal is the sheep, while cattle, goats and poultry are also reared.