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MAFWR allots 200 hectares of land for wheat cultivation

6 Dec 2023 MAFWR allots 200 hectares of land for wheat cultivation By

Muscat – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR) has embarked on an ambitious project to cultivate wheat on over 200 hectares of land in Dhahirah governorate, marking a significant step towards achieving food self-sufficiency in Oman. 

For the 2023-24 agricultural season, wheat cultivation has commenced on over 32 hectares of this land.

Informing about the increase in the area of wheat cultivation in Dhahirah, Ahmed al Abri, Director General of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources in the governorate, emphasised the strategic importance of wheat, a winter crop with low water requirements, in bolstering Oman’s food security system.

“Farmers, under the usufruct system in the Saih al Salam area of Dhank, have initiated a pioneering project by planting wheat on 80 acres (32.375 hectares) from the allotted 500 acres (202.343 hectares),” the ministry official informed.

They are employing a modern irrigation system for the first time in the governorate. The wheat variety Wadi Quraiyat 226 is expected to yield approximately 100 tonnes during the March 2024 harvest. This initiative is part of a broader plan to gradually expand wheat cultivation across the entire allocated area.

The ministry’s role extends beyond land allocation. Abri pointed out that it provides farmers with technical guidance, and training through seminars and workshops. 

Additionally, the ministry’s support includes distribution of high-quality seeds, harvesting machines, and assistance in marketing and selling the produce in collaboration with the Oman Flour Mills Company.

Dhahirah governorate’s wheat production in the 2022-23 was 250 tonnes, cultivated over 100 hectares of land by 474 farmers.

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