Muscat – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR ) is offering 19 plots of land for investment for vegetable and poultry farming in Dhofar.

This is in keeping with the ministry’s efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency, attract investments and increase national income.

An official at MAFWR said, “The Najd Agricultural Development Office is offering 19 plots of land – 30 to 200 acres each – for investment in the Najd region. Of the 19 plots, 11 are in Hafeet area, and eight in Buthaina.”

According to the official, investors should verify the nature of land, inspect soil property and assess access to public services, following which usufruct contracts will be signed.

Earlier this year, the ministry set up a dedicated office to oversee the development of the Najd area into the country’s newest agricultural and farming hub. The office aims at optimising agricultural and farming output from the area, developing the requisite infrastructure to attract investment inflows, and ensuring balanced and sustainable usage of its limited water resources – chiefly ancient aquifers.

Meanwhile in August, Nakheel Oman Development Company (NODC) started the first phase of a project to plant 100,000 date palms in Al Najd Farm in the wilayat of Muqshin in its efforts to plant 1mn date palms. Spread over 33mn sqm, it is one of the largest farms in the One Million Date Palms Plantation Project.

According to NODC , the project aims to boost date varieties such as Fardh, Khalas and Fahl. Farmers are sold date palm seedlings, from whom NODC purchases their crop of dates.