Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Israeli and Jordanians are coming together to fight a pesky housefly invasion near the Dead Sea.

The swarms of flies have caused a real nuisance on both sides of the salty sea, prompting many residents indoors for most of the days this summer.

Under a just-signed agreement, farmers from both Israel and Jordan will come together to research the fly problem, which has been linked to Jordanian fertilization techniques, and learn together on a 3-hectare model farm in South Ghour in Jordan that will serve as a research center on crop selection, irrigation, fertilization and plant protection.

“This unique project was created through a rare convergence of local interests, of shared agricultural-economic problems disturbing the communities of the region,” said Friends of the Middle East Israeli director, Gidon Bromberg, who helped broker the transnational deal between local Jordanian authorities and the Tamar Regional Council leaders in Israel.

The information gathered at the model farm will also be shared between both countries, improving the quality of farming on both sides of the border and helping to strengthen both communities.

Dov Litvinoff, head of Tamar Regional Council, home to approximately 1300 Israeli residents and vast nature reserves, said that this latest project is just one of the ways that the local Israeli residents are collaborating with their neighbors on the other side of the border.

“This activity indicates a desire for mutual contribution between the parties, and we hope this will serve as a spotlight for future cooperation also on a national level,” he said.

He added that in addition to improving international relations, the center is a much-needed local-based center to help strengthen agriculture in the region.

“I also believe that this project will be a great contribution and significantly improve the output of crops among the inhabitants of the region – Israelis and Jordanians alike,” Litvinoff said, stressing the benefits of the center go far beyond getting rid of nasty house flies.

*J Space News