BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, MAY 23
The total size of the ‘Busur’ crop of dried dates procured from Omani farmers this year is about 187 tonnes, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) stated here on Sunday. The ‘busur’ season spanned the April 11 – May 20, 2021 timeframe. As many as 65 suppliers contributed to this volume.
In past years, the busur crop was typically exported via a competitive tender to international markets. This time around, the handling, processing, marketing and sales of the crop has been assigned to the Omani Date Production and Packaging Company with the goal of optimizing value creation from the harvest, exploring value addition through further processing, and supporting small and medium businesses engaged in this activity.
The busur crop is prepared after boiling dates or treating them with hot steam in a process known as ‘Al Faghor’, which turns them soft and sweet in taste.
To further the growth of a cottage industry around dried dates, the Ministry is finalizing the draft of a set of Omani standards and specifications covering the marketing and sale of the fruit. The proposed standards covers loose and packaged dried dates for human consumption, and the criteria for processing, packaging and preservation. It does not cover dried dates used as animal fodder.
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