Saudi Arabia to invest 112.8 million euros in agricultural production
Staff Writer |
The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has launched an initiative to develop the country's agricultural practices and improve the productivity of vegetables, fruits, dates and field crops under the National Transition 2020 Program.
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This is one of nine initiatives to be launched through the National Transition 2020 program, as well as one of the 59 initiatives that have been planned to make the Vision of the Kingdom 2030 a reality.
The aim of the initiative is to improve productivity, rationalise the resources, control the product quality and focus on the comparative advantage of regions by injecting 497.5 million riyals (about 112.8 million euros) by 2020.
This is in order to develop agricultural practices, improve services to producers, carry out pilot campaigns, establish pilot fields or train extension workers, technicians and agricultural workers to control the safety of agricultural products.
In addition to the construction of 375 demonstration fields across the Kingdom, 75 demonstration fields will be set up each year. Technicians and agricultural specialists will be trained to monitor the safety of agricultural products in all regions.
The initiative will include the adoption of several steps to increase the country's agricultural production by ensuring the supply of inputs (such as seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) and the application of the best practices in agriculture, irrigation systems and pesticide use.
The initiative will additionally encourage the adoption of organic farming models, providing growers information on aspects such as permitted inputs or organic farming regulations, focusing on agricultural practices that are prohibited by organic farming, so that producers are aware of them. ■
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