Oman's agriculture ministry to promote grape cultivation, increase farmland

Published 13 Mar,2021 via Muscat Daily - The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR) has decided to cultivate grapes on more than 25 acres of farmland across all governorates in the sultanate.

The project aims to promote grape cultivation and expand the cultivated areas using modern irrigation systems, market the produce by using latest techniques, and raise the contribution of the agricultural sector to the national economy, the ministry said.

“The project also aims to train a number of farmers and the ministry’s officials on modern technologies for cultivation, production, harvesting, circulation and marketing of grapes and the establishment of specialised farms to cultivate and produce different types of grapes with areas not less than an acre and not more than five acres,” said an official at MAFWR.

He added, “The ministry has identified a number of sites in various governorates of the sultanate for the cultivation of grapes - seven acres in North Sharqiyah, five acres in Dhahirah, five acres in North and South Batinah, five acres in Dakhliyah, and three acres in Dhofar.

“The ministry has prepared several programmes for the implementation of the project, such as producing about 12,500 of grape seedlings, establishing grape nurseries in various governorates of the sultanate, supporting farmers, providing modern irrigation systems and giving them about 5,000 seedlings free.”

The ministry will also run training courses for technicians and some targeted farmers and prepare a technical advisory programme that includes recommendations for cultivation, breeding, pruning, fertilisation and quality control of grape crops by one of the expert houses.

“Specialists of the ministry will follow up the implementation of the programme prepared for the targeted farmers.”

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