Global Arab Network | Oman to Plant 100,000 Coconut Trees in Dhofar

Translate this article to your language:

GANPublications

e-Publications

Add Site to Favorites

Add Page to Favorites

Make Homepage

Share This Page

RSS Feed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| |

Oman to Plant 100,000 Coconut Trees in Dhofar

Sunday, 25 July 2010 19:13

Oman (Muscat) - Sheikh Salim bin Hilal bin Ali al Khalili, Agriculture Minister expressed his gratitude for the Royal Grant by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in issuing his Royal Orders to plant 100,000 Coconut Trees in the Governorate of Dhofar, which coincides with the 40th Anniversary of the Blessed Renaissance Day, which was the grace of Allah to Oman and its people.

In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), Sheikh al Khalili said that the Royal Orders always reflect the wisdom and farsighted vision of His Majesty the Sultan to promote the agricultural sector as the diversity of climatic environments of the Sultanate's regions to find a balance and diversity in agricultural production and reaching the comprehensive agricultural development in various regions of the Sultanate.

He added that while we congratulate ourselves for this grant, we would like to stress that throughout the last 40 years, His Majesty the Sultan has cared for all Omanis and provided them with great generosity.

He added that His Majesty the Sultan attaches great importance to the agricultural sector, therefore he gave Royal Orders to plant 100,000 coconut trees; a step that complement the previous royal order to plant one million palm trees.

He affirmed that His Majesty the Sultan shows constant interest to provide security and food security to the Omani man. Allah has blessed those ‘Who provide them with food against hunger, and with security against fear'. These are traits of His Majesty the Sultan's actions towards his nation and its man.

On the other hand, Eng. Saud bin Salim al Harthy, Director General of the Directorate General of Agriculture and Livestock in Dhofar Governorate said that coconut tree comes at the foremost of the main agricultural crops which have relative importance in Dhofar Governorate as it has tourism, environmental, social and economic return.

In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), he said that coconut tree is used in extracting oil, butter and manufacture of certain kinds of sweets and cosmetics, such as, soap, shampoo, creams and cosmetic creams.

He added that the green leaves are used in manufacturing ropes, thread, mats, beds, housekeeping tools, wood, furniture, agricultural containers and decorating the tourism and cultural sites. They are also used in producing fodder and vegetarian fertilizer piles; that is why the coconut tree is called ‘life tree'. There is also a good possibility for setting up manufacturing industries by using the components of coconut crop production.

He added that one of the merits of this crop is that it can withstand salinity of irrigation water and dryness which in turn enhances the opportunities to expand its horizontal implantation.

He pointed out that, according to the agricultural census for 2004/2005, the number of coconut trees at the title deeds in Dhofar Governorate is 124583, covering 1073 feddans or acres distributed onto 814 agricultural title deeds. The bulk of the production is locally consumed and about 1700 tons are exported each year. (ONA)

Global Arab Network

Add comment

The opinions of the authors in articles published are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Global Arab Network
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Published comments are the opinions of private individuals and do not reflect the views of Global Arab Network