MUSCAT: The National Employment Program (Tashgheel), in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, is offering around 500 acres of government-owned agricultural land for private sector investment at Al Nahda in the Wilayat of Al Amerat in Muscat Governorate.
Also supporting the initiative are the Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR), Nama Water Services and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority. It envisions the use of treated water and modern agricultural practices in unlocking opportunities for agricultural investment in line with the vision of the Tashgheel program.
Through collaboration with the private sector, Tashgheel seeks to secure investment in projects that will boost the production of basic commodities suitable for cultivation in Oman. This initiative will not only enhance agricultural self-sufficiency, but also strengthen food security in line with Oman’s 2040 Vision goals.
Crucially, the initiative will open the way the large-scale utilisation of triple-treated effluent water from Al Amerat STP for crop cultivation, thereby supplanting imports and boosting self-sufficiency. Investors are encouraged to use innovative cultivation methods to grow crops and farm produce, and create entrepreneurial and job opportunities in the process.
Importantly, the project will create a new agro zone in Al Amerat with the potential to attract investments in spinoff activities, including agri-tourism.
In the initial phase of its development, interested private sector players will be provided with an overview of Tashgheel’s vision for the optimal development of the land, its design and management, the potential for its marketing and operation, and the use of treated effluent. In designing its development, investors will also be encouraged to take into account is agricultural and agri-tourism potential.
Investors will also be entitled to a set of incentives, including power and water supply up to the boundaries of the land, exemption from usufruct fees for up to 5 years (with a further extension of the usufruct period depending on type of targeted crops), free treated water for up to 5 years, funding support from the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, and also training support.
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