Salalah – Razat Farm in Salalah, operated by Royal Court Affairs, has successfully produced pineapples in Oman following nearly 15 years of research, marking a significant step towards diversifying the country’s crop production.

The project demonstrates that Dhofar’s climate can support commercial cultivation of pineapple, a tropical fruit with strong nutritional and economic value.

Pineapple cultivation at the farm has progressed from small-scale trials in containers to larger plantations grown in soil under tree shade and inside greenhouses. The crop has adapted well to Dhofar’s mild, humid khareef climate, with planting carried out between July and December.

The plants reach full vegetative growth after around six months, while the fruit is harvested about a year after planting when it begins turning golden yellow.

Suhail bin Saeed Al Mashani, Senior Agricultural Engineer at Razat Farm, said several pineapple varieties were tested, including Queen, Mauritius and MD-2.

“The MD-2 variety is now the preferred cultivar because of its large fruit, weighing between 2kg and more than 4kg, its sweet flavour and strong market demand,” he said.

Al Mashani added that pineapple requires relatively little water compared to many other tropical crops, making it suitable for cultivation under appropriate conditions in Oman.

He said tissue culture technology played a key role in the project’s success by producing large numbers of uniform, disease-free seedlings. It will also support future expansion of pineapple cultivation.

The achievement highlights the importance of long-term scientific research, climate adaptation and modern agricultural technologies in introducing high-value, non-traditional crops to Oman while strengthening food security and agricultural diversification.