Muscat: Usufruct contracts were signed on Thursday at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning to establish agricultural projects in four governorates in Oman to the tune of more than RO 32 million. The projects cover an area of more than 3 million sqm.
The contracts seek to implement the ministry’s initiatives to support the agricultural sector and consolidate its partnership and integration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources. The overall purpose is to diversify sources of food security within the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
The contract agreements were signed by Dr Khalfan Said al Shuaili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, in the presence of Dr Saud Hamoud al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.
The contracts, which provide lands under the usufruct system, will help support the economy and investments. They will augment the sustainability of land use through the implementation of modern innovative projects to be carried out in line with the National Strategy for Development of Governorates.
They provide for the establishment of a “honey bee museum” in the Wilayat of Barka, South Al Batinah Governorate. The project, which will occupy more than 12,000 sqm, is worth RO 1,250,000.
Another contract was also signed to consolidate soil richness in the Wilayat of Barka on an area of more than 40,000 sqm. It is worth RO 180,000.
In Al Buraimi Governorate, a contract agreement was signed to plant 50,000 palm trees of the Fard, Majdol and Khalas varieties in the Wilayat of Al Sunaina. The project, which occupies an area of more than two million square metres, is worth RO 3 million.
In Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, a contract was signed for an organic farming project to produce pomegranates in the Wilayat of Al Jabal Al Akhadhar on an area of more than 121,000 sqm to the tune of RO 294,000.
And in North Al Batinah Governorate, a contract was signed for the production and marketing of banana crops in the Wilayat of Al Suwaiq. The project, which occupies an area of more than 267,000 sqm, is worth RO 446,000.
In the wilayat of Suhar, a contract was signed to set up a project to cultivate and produce figs on an area of more than 64,000 sqm. It is worth RO 150,000.
Dr Saud Hamoud al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources said that his ministry seeks to achieve self-sufficiency in food products and 100 per cent has been achieved in the production of some crops like dates. In the next stage, emphasis will be laid on agricultural industrialization, he explained.
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