Ibra – North Sharqiyah achieved 100% self-sufficiency in several agricultural and livestock products – including dates, cucumber, honey and eggs – in 2025, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.

Dr Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Mashikhi, Director General of Agriculture and Water Resources in North Sharqiyah, said the governorate recorded strong growth across multiple agricultural indicators in recent years.

He noted that the governorate’s average agricultural production reached 1.27mn tonnes in the past three years, while the area of fruit orchards expanded 7% to 866 acres, producing a total of 4,633 tonnes.

Model fruit orchards now cover 537.7 acres, while vineyards expanded to 27.8 acres and fig orchards reached 68 acres.

Vegetable cultivation accounts for 25.2 % of the total agricultural area, covering 1,018 acres with total production of 51,295 tonnes.

Al Mashikhi added that the area under date palm cultivation increased 1.3% to 8,359 acres, with production expected to reach 50,236 tonnes.

North Sharqiyah ranks fifth among all governorates in date production, contributing 12% of the national output, with more than 1,003,000 date palms spread across 8,359 acres.

The governorate ranks first in the country in production of Mabseli dates, recording 11,620 tonnes, with 136,112 Mabseli date palms across its wilayats.

Al Mashikhi informed that the agricultural sector in North Sharqiyah recorded 3% growth last year and highlighted the governorate’s achievement of full self-sufficiency in several key agricultural and livestock products.

Among the major initiatives supporting this growth is the model grape farm project in Ibra, funded by the Agricultural and Fisheries Development Fund and OMIFCO, in line with the priorities of Oman Vision 2040.

The project involves cultivating 100 acres of grapes, leading to a 370% increase in grape cultivation in the governorate, raising the total vineyard area to 127 acres with estimated production of 635 tonnes.

The initiative has boosted the self-sufficiency rate and generated economic returns exceeding RO1mn. It has also helped increase the total grape cultivation area across Oman by 50% to 300 acres.

The project will introduce six commercially competitive grape varieties – Flame Seedless, Crimson Seedless, Autumn Royal, Summer Royal, Princess and Red Globe – marking a significant addition to Oman’s agricultural sector.