The project to develop traditional farming systems in the village of Al Mu’adha in the Wilayat of Dhank in Al Dhahirah Governorate helped to provide a good agricultural environment to farmers. The project was implemented by the Ministry of Agricultural wealth, fisheries and water resources, and was opened in 2016.
The people of Al Mu’adha village work at the cultivation of palm trees of various kinds, as well as other agricultural crops such as fruits, vegetables and legumes. Out of the farmers’ knowledge of the best ways of consuming water, they helped in the success of this project by following the instructions given to them by the concerned authorities to come up with the best results of the project.
The project aims to exploit water resources to increase agricultural areas by spreading the modern irrigation techniques as well as attracting water wasted from aflaj, raising the efficiency of its use, replacing unwanted varieties, improving agricultural productivity and reducing production requirements that contribute to horizontal expansion and utilization of uncultivated areas and improving irrigation water management. Engineer Ali Al Mandhari, Acting Director General of the General Directorate of Agricultural Wealth and Water Resources in Al Dhahirah, said that the project achieved its objectives as farmers were able, in more than five years of the project, to benefit and take care of the cultivation of various species such as palm trees and seasonal crops.
He explained that the project aims to rationalize, reduce water consumption, overcome the problem of water scarcity in the wilayat and preserve the existing trees and palms that still remain. It also aims at encouraging farmers to pay attention to agriculture, especially since the village of Al Mu’adha is one of the villages and places that are famous for the cultivation of various agricultural crops. The project, which depends on auxiliary wells, consists of two parts: the first is the introduction of a modern irrigation network that includes ten plots of agricultural land, each of which contains a reinforced concrete tank with a capacity of 150 m3 to collect the water of aflaj and auxiliary wells. The area irrigated by each reservoir ranges between About 20 to 25 acres. There is also a control unit for each tank that includes two pumping units and a number of devices and accessories. these tanks are connected by a main line to refill the tanks from the auxiliary wells.
The project also works to feed the sub-pipes through valves connected to the tank on the main line. The pipes distribute water to the plants through fountains and sprinklers scattered in the farms.
As for the second part of the project, it is represented in the replacement of low-productivity palm trees, by planting more than 13 thousand new palm trees.
Certain types of palm varieties grow widely in village of Al Mu’adha such as Khasab, Al Khenaizi and Al Nagal, which the project focuses at in the replacement process.
Juma Al Yahyai, the project supervisor, explained that the project contributed to providing water to the owners of farms. since the opening of the project until today, owners of farms s have been keen to increase the agricultural areas as they see a fair distribution to the water among farms and crops as well.
The total cultivated area in the village is about 100 acres, and the village is distinguished by the cultivation of 13,000 palm trees, in addition to citrus trees and Omani wheat.
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