More than 900 tonnes of vegetables are expected to be produced in Duraz, Hoorat A’ali land plots

TDT | Manama

More than 900 tonnes of vegetables are expected to be produced in land plots located in Duraz and Hoorat A’ali, which are among the sites designated to achieve the food security initiative of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning’s Agriculture and Marine Resources undersecretary Dr. Nabil Abul Fateh paid an inspection visit to the sites, in line with the directives of Works Minister Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf. Dr. Abul Fateh, who was accompanied by assistant undersecretary Dr. Abdulaziz Abdul Karim, was informed about the lands’ preparedness, as well as their infrastructure services and the main requirements for the success of the royal project.

The undersecretary said that HM the King’s initiative is based on adopting soil-less farming methods, adding that six sites across the Kingdom have been earmarked for the implementation of the scheme, including two in the Northern Governorate. The first in Duraz is an 18,000sqm plot which will contain 44 incubators and produce about 460 tonnes of vegetables. The second in Hoorat A’ali covers 24,000 square metres, containing 46 incubators and expecting to produce 463 tonnes of vegetables. Dr. Abul Fateh pointed out that the soil-less farming project will contribute to increasing local vegetable production by 20 per cent.

He added that the Agriculture and Marine Resources Department has held a series of meetings with the competent authorities to devise a schedule for the implementation of the royal initiative. The undersecretary affirmed that HM the King’s project aims to encourage Bahraini youth to engage in the agricultural and fishing fields, as well as to adopt innovative techniques for sustainable production. He noted that the ultimate goal is to prepare an ambitious generation whose members are trained on modern agricultural production and fish farming. It also aims to deepen the sense of patriotism in achieving food security, Dr. Abul Fateh added. He stressed that the Agriculture and Marine Resources Department will harness all available resources in order to translate the projects into the ground, and achieve HM the King’s vision on boosting the Kingdom’s food security