Muscat – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR) has launched an initiative to support low-income families.  

An official of MAFWR informed that the Directorate General of Agriculture and Water Resources in Dhahirah has distributed equipment among 32 women beneficiaries through the initiative. 

Part of a project to support marketing of agricultural products for rural women in Ibri, the initiative is a collaborative effort with the Social Development Committee and has strong support from the private sector.

Salim bin Ali al Amrani, Director General of Agriculture and Water Resources, said, “The initiative aims to fortify rural women’s projects in agriculture encompassing various sectors, including vegetable cultivation, dates production, apiculture, poultry farming and dairy processing. The primary objective is to increase income and encourage economic independence among rural women.”

The Directorate General of Agriculture and Water Resources in Dhahirah distributed refrigerators, hatching devices, beehives, product packaging containers, labels, packaging equipment, and cutting and grinding machines.

Amrani added, “ We urge the beneficiaries of this project to work hard and increase income for their families, and invite them to participate in special training workshops conducted with the objective of women’s empowerment.”

MAFWR launched a programme called Rifi in coordination with Oman Development Bank in 2021 with the objective of supporting and promoting entrepreneurship among rural women. The programme aims to empower rural women and entrepreneurs by enhancing capacity, boosting production, promoting food security and creating self-employment opportunities.

Projects initiated through Rifi include establishment of 13 eco-friendly greenhouses, a beekeeping project that trained 100 women, and launch of production and marketing activities under the brand name ‘From My Home’.