135 plant species set to be produced in ‘incubators’

TDT | Manama

Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning’s Agriculture and Marine Resources Undersecretary Dr Nabil Muhammad Abu Al Fateh said that the agency is seeking to produce 135 plant species through the Agricultural Incubators Center in Horat Aali. He pointed out that the center has completed 30% of these plant species targeted for cultivation, and includes indoor and outdoor ornamental trees, fruits and medicinal plants, trees and shrubs, and flowering monsoons.

This came during Abu Al Fateh’s visit to the Agricultural Incubators Center in Horat Aali, in the presence of the Agriculture Affairs Assistant Undersecretary Dr Abdulaziz Muhammad Abdul-Karim, Plant Wealth Department Director Engineer Hussein Jawad Al Layth, and a number of agency officials.

Abu Al Fateh said they have started the establishment of an agricultural nursery that meets the requirements of the development of agriculture in Bahrain, pointing out that 17,000 plants have been planted now.

Within one year, this will increase to 3,000 plants as part of efforts to propagate shade and local trees. He explained that the center is determined during the coming period to launch training programs in the field of propagating ornamental and fruit trees, based on its plan and under the direction of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Eng. Essam bin Abdullah Khalaf, to train national cadres in the fields of modern agriculture in an effort to integrate them into this important sector.

During the visit, Abu Al Fateh expressed his pride in the efforts made at the Agricultural Incubation Center, which is one of the most important facilities for agricultural affairs, and one of the pioneering experiences in Bahrain, as it is based on adopting modern agricultural technologies in greenhouses and using innovative hydroponic systems.

He pointed out that the center comes as a translation of the vision and directions of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, chairman of the Advisory Board of the National Initiative for the Development of the Agricultural Sector, as the agency is developing the center with the latest modern agricultural technologies.

He stated that the center, as part of its strategy for the advancement of the agricultural sector, is currently working on identifying best practices for local production means of agricultural crops in line with climatic conditions, in support of official efforts to double the contribution of local production to achieving self-sufficiency in the Kingdom.