Thursday 02 / May / 2024
Muscat: In a bid to strengthen the food security system in the Sultanate of Oman, and to encourage the local farmers to grow wheat, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources signed an agreement of cooperation with Oman Flour Mills Company, to purchase locally produced wheat crop from farmers in the harvest season of 2022/23 for OMR500 per tonne.
The agreement was signed by Dr Ahmed Nasser Al Bakri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources for Agriculture, and Eng. Haitham Mohammad Al Fannah, CEO of Oman Flour Mills Company.
Dr Al Bakri praised the efforts of Oman Flour Mills Company to purchase wheat crops from farmers annually, as part of the company's efforts to strengthen the food security system in the Sultanate of Oman and develop the Omani 'Bur' product, as a brand that is being marketed in the local and regional markets. He added, "Signing the agreement to purchase wheat crops from the local farmers through Omani Flour Mills, will motivate the farmers to increase their productivity.”
The CEO of Oman Flour Mills Company emphasised that the ministry is exerting its maximum efforts to strengthen the food security system in the Sultanate of Oman through many legislative aspects that stimulate investors and farmers. He said, "The sector with all its subsidiaries highly appreciates this step and interacts positively with it. The signing of this agreement comes within the framework of the company's keenness to enhance the efforts to maintain food security requirements and to encourage farmers to continue growing wheat.”
It is worth noting that the area currently cultivated with wheat doubled from the previous season and exceeded 5,000 acres, and it is expected that the yield for the current season will exceed 5,000 tonnes.
The ministry, with the support of the Agricultural and Fisheries Development Fund, has provided six new harvesters in addition to the previously existing harvesters in the governorates.
