Muscat – Grape cultivation in the Governorate of Dakhliyah is all set to script a new chapter in agricultural diversification with one farmer tasting success in his experiments.

Farmer Abdul Rahman Zaher al Abri from the wilayat of Bahla in Dakhliyah cultivated grapes with 500 seedlings, the vines now having grown to 180cm.

Abri has been farming for 55 years, producing a diverse mix of crops on his 20 acres of land. He started cultivating grapes in 2021 and hopes it will be a profitable effort. “I started growing grapes for additional income,” Abri told Muscat Daily.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources provided 500 grape seedlings to Abri in December 2021 as part of a national project called Model Farms.

“I have planted five types of grapes – Sultani, Lebanese White, Ashhab, Taifi and Omani Black – on an acre of land.”

About the challenges he faces in cultivating grapes, he said, “We have to face extreme heat, wind and drought. Although setting up windbreakers has helped in dealing with harsh winds, but extreme heat remains a major challenge in grape cultivation.”

Asked why he chose to grow grapes, Abri said he followed experts’ recommendations regarding expansion and diversification of crops to boost food security and self-sufficiency.

“Currently, I grow wheat, onions, sugarcane, dates, okra and black-eyed peas, besides grapes. I plant 45 varieties of dates.”

The new venture, which has the active support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources and experts, has become Abri’s obsession.

“The ministry facilitated an integrated programme to help us choose the right land, equipping it with a modern irrigation system and using organic fertilisers,” he elaborated.

Though he gained vast experience and knowledge from more than five decades of farming, to learn modern methods, Abri has visited several countries.

“Today, farmers in the sultanate grow a wide variety of fruits all year round.”

Urging jobseekers to work in the agriculture sector, he said, “It is profitable work. We should not leave this work to expatriate labourers. Our land is a treasure for future generations. Many countries depend on agriculture as the main source of income.”

Abri said he hopes the concerned authorities will help in increasing cultivation of wheat to achieve self-sufficiency in food and to provide land to those interested to start farming, especially in Salalah.

In July 2021, Oman Investment Authority (OIA) announced the formation of an integrated company specialising in production of high-quality vegetables and fruits and marketing of local produce domestically and internationally.

The project aims to establish model farms across Oman based on comparative advantage, diversity of weather and environments suitable for the growth of various crops.

The project is within the framework of a close and fruitful cooperation between OIA and the ministry with an aim to encourage Omani farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises to market their produce inside and outside the sultanate.