Najran’s Rise as Year-Round Agricultural Hub with Innovative Practices, Initiatives
Najran region has been playing a pivotal role in Saudi Arabia’s food security, environmental stewardship, and economic vitality, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Several Crops
The region’s farmers cultivate several crops throughout the year such as citrus fruits, wheat varieties such as Al-Samraa, samma, and zarai, and a range of dates including bayadh, mawakil, barhi, khalas, as well as rutab.
Furthermore, they plant tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, zucchini, beans, onions, and various leafy greens.
“Blessed with fertile land, a temperate climate, and diverse topography like mountainous terrain and extensive plains, Najran is a year-round agricultural hub,” the SPA said.
Modern Practices
Crucially, local farmers are employing various innovative modern agricultural practices to elevate the agricultural landscape in the region.
Therefore, they play a central role in producing healthy, safe food free from pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
One of those brilliant farmers is Hamad Al-Abbas, who has been an organic famer for the past six years. Interestingly, he mainly cultivates strawberries and stevia. Al-Abbas harvests stevia thrice per year.
Successful Initiatives
The region also features an outstanding initiative known as the coffee cultivation project. In the same context, the Head the Regional Cooperative Coffee Association, Ali Dhafer Al-Harith, stated that his passion for farming led to experimenting with coffee.
Consequently, he began the venture in 2022 with 4,000 seedlings.
Currently, the project boasts 80 farms with approximately 100,000 coffee trees, aged between three to six years. The trees have various varieties including khoulani, adeni, dawairi, tuffahi, and the region-specific taisani.
The association plays a central role in boosting coffee farms, providing farmers with several workshops in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. In addition, it deals with post-harvest logistics such as processing, packaging, and marketing operations.
Ministerial Support
Najran’s high crops production and successful initiatives are basically driven by the ministry’s involvement and support. Through marketing help, technical advice, and promoting organic farming practices, the ministry is keen on ensuring the production of safe, high-quality food.
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