Dr Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, opened the 7th Omani Dates Festival at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday.
The festival, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in cooperation with the Public Authority for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (RIYADA), aims to promote Omani dates, its products and derivatives and attract visitors and tourists to experience the types of Omani dates and encourage producers and farmers to care for and preserve palm trees.
The annual Dates Festival, the largest Agriculture event in the country highlights the efforts and programmes of the government to develop the national icon, the palm trees in the Sultanate
Oman has an estimated 7.6 million palm trees and production of 360,000 tonnes per year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery statistics 2018.
More than 90 participants in the festival, including farmers, producers and owners of date processing units from different governorates showcase diverse varieties of Omani dates and their derivatives in different shapes and sizes and in innovative and modern marketing methods.
Although the festival was scheduled from October 24 to 28, the ministry later decided to extend it till the 31st of this month and include many events and art competitions.
It also showcases traditional products, such as handicrafts, mostly made from palm fronds.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
