Watermelon production and cantaloupe in Dhofar reached over 27,000 tons

Dhofar: The production of watermelon and cantaloupe crops in Al Najd area farms in Dhofar Governorate reached approximately 27,638 tons on an estimated area of ​​1,500 acres.

Dr. Ahmed bin Suhail Al-Hadari, head of the Omani Agricultural Society in the Governorate of Dhofar, said in a statement to the Oman News Agency: The cultivation of watermelons and melons is concentrated in the Niyabat of Al-Shasr and the areas of Heila Al-Rakah and Hanfeet in the Wilayat of Thumrait.

He pointed out that there is continuous communication and coordination between the Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources and the Omani Agricultural Society in the governorate to make the season successful and facilitate procedures to ensure the transportation of products from farms to markets and follow up on the import of watermelons to prevent dumping in the event that the local product is available and work to balance the market and a rise in prices.

He added that the association seeks, during the period of agricultural production in this season, to coordinate with the relevant authorities to provide the national carrier to transport watermelons and melons from the Najd region to the central market for vegetables and fruits with citrus, and to adhere to the shipping and delivery times and the availability of Omani carriers sufficiently and continuously during the season, pointing out that the transportation process Requires 25-30 carriers per day throughout the season.

For his part, Eng. Abdullah bin Malazi Khawar, owner of one of the farms in the Najd area in the Dhofar Governorate, said: Watermelons and cantaloupes are high-quality crops produced by farms in the Najd area, which are in great demand and in high demand, whether in the local or foreign market.

He added that this year’s harvest season coincides with the start of the blessed month of Ramadan, which is a good period for consumers to get watermelons and melons.

He clarified that some farmers have started to introduce modern technology and machines into the process of cultivating the melon and cantaloupe crops, but the majority of them still rely on traditional methods and human hands in the cultivation process.

In the field of marketing for this crop, he said: The agricultural products of the region are very popular in the markets due to their quality and speed of access to the local market, but the main obstacle lies in the lack of sufficient reception outlets for these products that help increase agricultural production and ensure its continuity as an important tributary that supports the self-sufficiency of these crops. .

Eng. Abdullah bin Malazi Khawar confirmed that the Najd region farms are able to produce abundant quantities of melons and watermelons and cover the local and foreign markets if there is a process of organizing the market and not flooding it with imported products.