Nizwa: Farmers of Al Jabal Al Akhdhar (The Green Mountain) in the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah have begun harvesting pomegranate in various villages. The percentage of viable fruits reached 96 percent after the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources implemented the control programme and launched 155 million biocontrol agents (trichogramma evanescens) during 2020 season as part of the project of integrated management of the pomegranate butterfly in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar, using alternative and modern control methods.
Pomegranate is the main economic crop in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar. There are more than 27 thousand trees, and as an average, each tree produces 150 fruits. The villages of Wadi Bani Habib, Saiq, Al Sharija, Al Oyeena, Al Aqr, Hail Al Yemen, Al Manakhir, Qatnah, Al Sograh and Al Qasha are among the most important villages that are famous for growing pomegranate.
Since 2003, the Ministry has set up a programme in agricultural research centers to multiply the trichogramma evanescens, which are widely used in combating many insect pests. 39 young men and women have been trained in the technique of releasing the wasps, in addition to 5 technicians working on propagating it. This helps reducing the economic losses to farmers, and the number of trees infected with pests, in addition to raising the productivity and quality of pomegranate and other crops.
Eng Salem bin Rashid al Tobi, Director of the Agricultural Development Department in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar, told Oman News Agency (ONA), "This year's season promises a good harvest, given the favourable and appropriate weather conditions and the amount of rain that fell, which led to the availability of a good amount of water to irrigate all the trees. The farmers have started marketing the fruits in the nearby markets. Next week, the 2020 season will be evaluated in terms of the number of fruits per tree and their average size."
He added that in 2019, 215 million biocontrol agents were released at the mountain villages as part of the annual control program, indicating that the average fruit per tree in 2019 season was 101 fruit per tree, and the percentage of healthy, marketable fruits was 96 percent.
Pomegranate farmers in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar start caring for pomegranate trees since mid-January by pruning trees, getting rid of dead branches, removing weeds, tilling the soil, adding compost and watering once every ten days. In May, irrigation continues between five to seven days until the end of September, when irrigation is permanently stopped for pomegranate trees from mid-November to the end of January to give the plant a rest period and to renew its activity in the following season.
Farmers in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar go to Nizwa Market and some other nearby markets to sell their products, as the demand for Al Jabal Al Akhdhar pomegranate has increased during the past seasons. Its prices vary according to the season, the amount of production and the demand. Its prices are considered appropriate by the farmers in exchange for their effort, care and continuous follow-up from the beginning of January until its harvest, in addition to the fact that the crop is 100 percent organic and natural.
Because of the increase in tourism in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar in recent years, the demand for the pomegranate crop has increased by tourists who visit Al Jabal Al Akhdhar during the season. --ONA
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