Second phase of turmeric cultivation in Dhofar Governorate begins

Salalah: The Directorate General of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources in Dhofar Governorate has started the implementation of the second phase of the project to resettle turmeric cultivation in the governorate with the support of the Agricultural and Fisheries Development Fund.

The harvest results for the first stage resulted in achieving good indicators through the production of about 6 tons of fresh organic turmeric on an area of ​​1.4 acres, and it is expected that the harvest results for the second stage will reach about 25 tons. Engineer Radwan bin Abdullah Al Ibrahim, Director of the Agricultural Development Department at the Directorate General of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources in Dhofar Governorate, project manager, said: The turmeric cultivation season in the governorate begins annually at the beginning of June and continues for 6 to 8 months from planting until harvest.

He added that the project, in its first phase during the year 2022, targeted 21 farmers in 12 villages, which included four wilayats: Salalah, Taqa, Dhalkoot and Rakhyut, indicating that the project is also working to provide technical support and guidance to farmers regarding land preparation and the importance of installing a modern irrigation system and following up the stages of agricultural transactions from From planting to harvest time.

He referred to the marketing of last year’s crop of turmeric in the local market at a good price through the initiative of a small enterprise that purchased the crop directly from farmers and will invest in the field of grinding and packing organic turmeric and marketing it in local markets soon.

He stated that the project management team is currently distributing the subsidized roots of the turmeric plant “rhizomes” to the beneficiary farmers for the second season, who number this year about “55” farmers in 25 villages on a total cultivated area estimated at (4) acres due to the increasing demand by citizens to benefit from this project.

It is worth noting that the project aims to motivate and encourage farmers to localize turmeric cultivation in the Dhofar Governorate as a value-added crop economically and for its health benefits and high demand for it locally and globally, in addition to that it constitutes a tributary and source of income for local families in these communities, ensuring their stability in their homes and finding job opportunities. to her children.