Jordanian Agriculture Minister Khaled Huneifat said on Tuesday that work was underway for building the country's first national seeds bank, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Work on the seeds bank is 30 percent complete, and it is expected to be built in 2024, said the minister, adding that the project is in line with efforts to safeguard national food security.

The bank would serve as a research and conservation facility for the seeds of local natural plants, with a focus on genetic resources for food and agriculture, Jordan's Hashemite University, which jointly launched the bank with the ministry, said on its official website.

Jordan started building the seeds bank in its capital, Amman, in 2022.