MUSCAT, June 30 - Farmers from the Wilayat of Bidiya have demanded support from the Ministry of Commerce for processing dates during the Al Tabseel season. It is the season when farmers across the Sultanate process the yellow dates they have freshly picked from their farms. With the season getting over in a few days, farmers are eager to get appropriate support from the authorities. Interestingly, Bidiya has some of the best dates, according to the local farmers who had gathered at a date palm farm, harvesting annual production of fresh, yellow-coloured dates.
One indication of its quality is the price it fetches in the market. “One kilogramme of dates fetches 350 baisa,” said a local farmer. “We spend days to carry out the process; we can withstand the heat, but we earn very little money,” said a farmer. “We are keen to pass on to our children the traditions we inherited from our forefathers,” he added. During the Al Tabseel season, farmers collect wood, set fire to it and boil the dates. After they are boiled, the dates will be dried in the open for four days. This process is carried out in many northern parts of the Sultanate during the season.
YAHYA AL SALMANI
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