Nizwa, March 16 - In an initiative aimed at restoring local culture and heritage, Birkat al Mouz schoolkids undertook a banana palm planting programme at the Al Jazeera plantation on the edge of the township. Under the name ‘Awaser,’ perpetuating bonds with the local community, a student group at Umm Al Fadel Girls Primary School, participated in a regional competition with the idea of restoring the town’s heritage of banana trees plantations, which has immense significance for the local community. “The town’s heritage and culture are inextricably linked to the naming of the township, Birkat al Mouz’’, said Hajar al Balushi, “as it can be literally translated as a ‘sea of banana palms’, indicative of the view from the heights above the town at the foot of the mighty Jabal Al Akhdhar.”
“Recently’’, added Al Balushi, “the tradition has been somewhat neglected as public endowment farms are leased to new farmers every few years and those farmers have been reluctant to invest in new plants on an economic basis, with greater financial return possible in growing cattle and stock feeds in recent years.” Consequently, the town once known across the region for its banana plantations, now has scarcity of the beautiful, productive trees.
A local business, Kawa Kava, and the local Al Ittihad Football Club joined forces to support the students, by sourcing the 120 trees from fertile farms in Al Batinah and providing logistical assistance support. The initiative was welcomed by local farmers, the community, and even a tourist group who expressed their interest in the initiative, and no doubt will provide a lasting memento of their journey.
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