Latest news with #FisheriesandWaterResources
Muscat Daily
3 hours ago
- Business
- Muscat Daily
RO150,000 programme to enhance Jabal Akhdar rose production
Jabal Akhdar – In a move aimed at consolidating the rose farming sector and ensuring sustainable agricultural practices in the sultanate, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources launched a value-added programme for rose cultivation in Jabal Akhdar on Tuesday. Funded by Agricultural and Fisheries Development Fund, the programme called Enhancing the Added Value of the Omani Rose Crop is designed to empower rose farmers, improve product quality and boost the sector's contribution to the national economy. The programme will run over two years at a cost of RO150,000, directly benefitting more than 350 rose farmers in the wilayat, which is home to over 6,300 rose shrubs spread across ten acres. According to the ministry, the programme seeks to improve agricultural operations through mechanisation and expand cultivated area. It also aims to build marketing and manufacturing chains and train farmers in developing value-added products derived from rose water. The ministry confirmed that rose products represent a renewable source of livelihood for many farmers in Jabal Akhdar, and that the new programme is part of broader efforts to ensure sustainability in this traditional sector. As part of the programme, supplies and support materials were distributed among farmers, while technical training and support for small and medium enterprises involved in extraction, distillation and processing were announced.
Muscat Daily
3 hours ago
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Ibra's old fish market to be revamped with RO50,000 investment
Ibra – Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources has announced the launch of a fish market project in Ibra, North Sharqiyah. The initiative aims to boost seafood trade, expand market infrastructure, and improve marketing and sales outlets for fish across the governorate. Dr Anwar al Saadi, Director of Department of Agriculture and Water Resources in Ibra, said the Ibra market project falls within efforts to rebuild and modernise the existing market, located in the commercial district of Al Saffala. One of the oldest fish markets in the governorate, it serves as a key trading point, receiving an estimated 1,250 tonnes of fish annually. The market will cover a total area of 2,081sqm. Fully funded by the ministry at a cost of RO50,000, the project is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2026. Facilities will include 12 fish display platforms, an ice-making unit, a waiting area, pump room and other public utilities, all within a climate-controlled environment. 'The ministry, in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of North Sharqiyah and other stakeholders, will establish a closed, air-conditioned market that meets public health standards, supports economic activity, and serves the needs of traders and consumers,' Saadi said. The Directorate General in North Sharqiyah currently oversees eight fish markets across the governorate, which collectively support around 100 fish sellers and more than 45 fish cutters from the local community.
Muscat Daily
3 hours ago
- Business
- Muscat Daily
MAFWR launches RO300,000 agricultural hub in Ibra to boost local produce
Ibra – A new agricultural products collection centre is being developed in North Sharqiyah aimed at enhancing local farming output and improving access to markets. Located in the Masroon area of Ibra, the facility will function as a logistics hub to receive, store and distribute seasonal produce across the governorate. Mohammed bin Ali al Duwaiki, Vice-Chairman of Oman Agriculture Association in North Sharqiyah, said the project – funded by Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources and Agricultural and Fisheries Development Fund with more than RO300,000 – represents a significant step in supporting the agricultural sector. He said the centre will help farmers add value to their products while ensuring quality standards are met for both local and export markets. Covering 42,000sqm, the centre will include modern storage units, sorting and packaging facilities, sales outlets, and a display space for fresh produce collected daily from across the governorate. Duwaiki informed that the project is currently in the bidding stage with construction scheduled to begin in the last quarter of this year and expected to take 24 months. He added that the centre will improve efficiency of agricultural marketing and regulation in the governorate, allowing farmers to sell their produce through supervised channels. The aim is to enhance supply and demand while maintaining product quality through professional sorting and packaging before distribution in Oman and abroad. The ministry's broader strategy to establish such collection centres across the sultanate is intended to create structured marketing networks, improve value addition, and promote the use of advanced technologies in agricultural processing and distribution.
Observer
2 days ago
- Health
- Observer
550,600 vaccination doses for livestock in Al Dhahirah
DHANAK: The Directorate-General of Agricultural and Water Resources in Al Dhahirah Governorate provided 550,622 vaccination doses for livestock in the governorate during the vaccination season, which extended from September 1, 2024, to the end of June 2025. The move comes within the framework of the implementation of the National Livestock Vaccination Project, overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources. Eng Mohammed bin Ali al Shandoudi, Director of the Animal Wealth Department at the Directorate-General of Agricultural and Water Resources in Al Dhahirah Governorate, said: 'The national project aims to protect livestock from epidemic and infectious diseases, reduce economic losses incurred by breeders, and improve the quality of animal production. Animal health is the foundation of the rural economy, which makes this project a fundamental pillar for achieving the sustainability of this vital sector in the Sultanate of Oman.' The Directorate-General of Agricultural and Water Resources in Al Dhahirah Governorate carried out 25 field camps during the vaccination period covering villages with high livestock density in the governorate's three wilayats of Ibri, Dhank and Yanqul. Specialised veterinary teams provided the vaccinations as well as awareness-raising guidance to livestock breeders on best practices in livestock health care. The vaccination operations focused on diseases that pose a major threat to livestock. The vaccination operations focused on diseases that pose a major threat to livestock, such as foot-and-mouth disease, sheep and goat pox, small ruminant plague and clostridiasis. The directorate explained that the doses were as follows: 202,030 doses for sheep, 338,457 doses for goats, 8,508 doses for cows, and 1,349 doses for camels. The number of breeders who benefited from these services reached 3,216, reflecting the project's widespread positive impact across the governorate. Data published by the Statistics and Information Department at the Directorate-General of Agricultural and Water Resources in Al Dhahirah Governorate indicate that the total livestock population in Al Dhahirah Governorate exceeds 310,000 heads of goats, cows and camels by the end of June 2025.
Muscat Daily
3 days ago
- Climate
- Muscat Daily
RO2mn spent on maintenance work of aflaj across North Sharqiyah
Ibra – Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR) has completed maintenance work of 162 aflaj in North Sharqiyah as part of efforts to sustain traditional water systems vital to agriculture and rural communities. The work, covering 90% of a total target of 179 aflaj across several wilayats, cost more than RO2mn. The effort is part of the ministry's broader plan to rehabilitate aflaj damaged by extreme weather events, including the Al Mutayr depression that affected the governorate last year. Hamad bin Rashid al Sawai from the Directorate General of Agriculture and Water Resources in North Sharqiyah said assessments were carried out by local agriculture and water departments in coordination with the Water Resources Department. These teams assessed the extent of damage, developed technical plans, issued tenders and monitored project execution on site. Of the total 179 targeted, 78 aflaj are in Dima wa al Taiyyin, 30 in Wadi Bani Khalid, 21 in Ibra, 19 in Al Qabil, 17 in Al Mudhaibi, ten in Bidiyah and four in Sinaw. North Sharqiyah has a total of 571 registered aflaj, many of which are the key source of water for farming and domestic use across the governorate's diverse terrain. These traditional irrigation channels, recognised as a Unesco heritage system in Oman, continue to play a critical role in managing water resources, especially in remote and agriculture dependent villages.
