Stage is set for first ever Almond Festival in Bahrain next month

TDT | Manama  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

An Almond Festival will be held in Bahrain for the first time next month, the Agriculture and Marine Resources Undersecretary at the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, Dr. Khalid Ahmed, has announced.

The festival’s first edition will be held at the Bahraini Farmers’ Market site in the Budaiya Botanical Garden on July 8 and July 15.

He indicated that the Ministry plans to hold the Almond Festival every year to attract the citizens, residents, and nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, noting that it will feature a line-up of events that will appeal to visitors and highlight the progress the kingdom’s agricultural sector is witnessing.

Dr. Khalid added that the Ministry, in cooperation with sponsors, mainly the National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) and the Bahrain Agricultural Cooperative Society, is keen to ensure the distinction of the new festival, building on the outstanding success of the Bahraini Farmers’ Market.

He said that almond varieties will be displayed during the event, and 1,000 almond seedlings will be planted by the ministry on the sidelines of the festival. The festival will also shed light on the almond manufacturing industries and provide information on almond varieties, methods of cultivation, and pests exposed to them.

It will also feature almond-related educational activities for children, as the almond tree is part of the local heritage. The undersecretary asserted that the Almond Festival will provide a platform for Bahraini farmers to market their products, as well as motivate them to increase their almond production and introduce new varieties.