Record dates collection in 2017

MUSCAT, Dec 16 - On the back of extensive support provided to farmers by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), the Sultanate witnessed record collection of dates crop in 2017.
The collection centre at the ministry received 2,265,324 tonnes of dates crop worth a total value of RO 768,657, 916 in the year.
This is against 1,600,164 tonnes of dates worth a total value of RO 567,588,219 in 2016. The number of suppliers also rose to 438 from 324 during the period.
“The increase in the number of suppliers was thanks to farmers’ interest in the dates crop as well as the efforts made by the ministry,” said Ahmed bin Hamad al Harthy, head of the department of dates in the directorate of trade affairs in MoCI.
The ministry has already commenced receiving dates crop of all the three varieties — Mabsali, Madluki and Abu Naranja — at its collection centre in Wadi Kabir for 2018 from last week.
“The ministry receives the crops from all parts of the country in continuation of its approach and policy to provide support to farmers who supply dates to it”, Al Harthy said. The ministry will continue to receive these dates till February 7, 2019.
He said that the ministry would not accept any quantities of dates if they are not purified and cleaned.
“It is also necessary that these dates are completely free from any type of wetness or dampness. It is a must for all suppliers to bring the evidence of their identity to the ministry official who is receiving the crop”, he said.
Al Harthy urged the farmers to take care of the quality of their products of dates which they are supplying to the ministry or which they are directly pushing to the foreign markets.
“These dates have to be clean from all impurities and flakes to maintain their quality and protect their reputation in the local and foreign competitive markets”, he said. The ministry provides support to the farmers who want to directly export their crops to the foreign markets. This is to encourage them in finding new and alternative markets to push their products.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry was trying to convert some species of dates to meet the requirements of local and foreign date markets and factories so that they have more economic value, said Al Harthy.