RIYADH: An outbreak prompted the Kingdom to temporarily ban imports of poultry products from bird flu-affected Zimbabwe.
The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said that a temporary ban is in place on the import of live birds, hatching eggs and chicks from Zimbabwe after the highly virulent bird flu was reported.
The decision to ban poultry imports is based on a warning issued by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), which includes the outbreak of bird flu in Zimbabwe, said Bakr Al-Tarif, deputy director general of the Department of Risk Assessment of Livestock.
The OIE is an inter-governmental organization which coordinates and supports animal disease control, and cautions governments on outbreaks in different parts of the world. Such bans are periodically reviewed and lifted when the situation returns to normal, ministry sources said.
Earlier, Zimbabwean authorities said they had placed a privately owned farm under quarantine after bird flu killed 7,000 birds. Later, another 140,000 birds were culled to prevent the spread of the disease from the farm located on the outskirts of Harare. Zimbabwe identified the strain as H5N8, a highly pathogenic and lethal virus causing bird flu.
The Kingdom, the second-largest importer of chicken broiler meat in the world, previously imposed similar bans on poultry imports from countries experiencing bird flu outbreaks. These bans were lifted when the countries became disease-free.
Saudi Arabia bans poultry imports from Zimbabwe after bird flu outbreak
Saudi Arabia bans poultry imports from Zimbabwe after bird flu outbreak
Najran farmers find sugarcane cultivation viable, promising lucrative economic returns
- Najran's mountainous parts are blessed with temperate climate and abundant water resources, suitable for sugarcane production
NAJRAN: Farmers in Saudi Arabia's southwestern region of Najran have found that sugarcane production is a viable enterprise, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) has reported.
One farmer, Ibrahim Shakwan, confirmed to SPA the success of his 7.3-hectare sugarcane farm and noted "growing regional interest due to its high productivity and lucrative economic returns."
Najran was chosen as a trial area for sugarcane production owing to the temperate climate, diverse soils, and abundant water resources in its mountainous parts. The experiment is in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which calls for enhancing food security and self-sufficiency.
Others regions in the Kingdom's southwest, such as Jazan, Asir and Baha, have similar features as Najran.
Sugarcane is easily propagated via cuttings that yield a high number of plantable pieces. Planting occurs primarily in the summer, although seedlings can be planted year-round.
Effective cultivation methods include selecting disease-resistant varieties, proper soil preparation, and balanced irrigation and fertilization, according to the report.
The crop is harvested approximately eight months after planting, with fertilization ending three months before and irrigation ceasing 20 days prior to harvest to boost sugar concentration and improve juice quality, which is rich in natural sugars, vitamins, and minerals.
Several countries in the Middle East have long been growing sugarcane, with Egypt and Iran as key producers.
Botanists believe sugarcane was first cultivated 10,000 years ago in what is now New Guinea in the southwest Pacific Ocean, where the environment is humid, according to an article titled Sugar Please, published in the Aramcoworld magazine in 2012.
