MAKKAH: As the Kingdom advances to diversify agricultural production and strengthen food security, success stories are emerging from farmers who have embraced unconventional ideas and harnessed the local environment to introduce new crops to the Saudi market.
Among them is farmer Radhi Al-Sharari, who has cultivated pistachios in Jouf after being driven by an ambitious vision and a determination to overcome challenges.
Al-Sharari told Arab News that the idea of growing pistachios first came to him in 2017. He stressed that his primary motivation was an ambition to introduce a new crop to Jouf, leveraging the region’s distinctive agricultural conditions that are well suited to a diverse variety of crops.
He said that he chose a crop that would meet local market demand and create added value to the region. One of the biggest challenges he faced at the start of his project was sourcing pistachio seeds and seedlings.
He said the variety that had proved successful was Pistacia vera, which adapted well to Jouf’s climate and soil.
Al-Sharari explained that pistachio cultivation required patience. Trees produce their first harvest about five years after planting, with full production taking around seven years.
He attributed the project’s success to suitable soil, the availability of fresh water and Jouf’s climate, in addition to continued learning throughout the cultivation process.
He said pistachio farming represented a promising opportunity in Saudi Arabia in light of the increased demand for high-value agricultural products, adding that wider cultivation could help meet the domestic demand.
Al-Sharari emphasized that introducing new crops to the Kingdom not only diversified agricultural production, but also strengthened food security, created new opportunities for agricultural investment, and provided economic prospects for farmers seeking to adopt modern and innovative practices.
He advised farmers interested in cultivating pistachios to focus on proper soil preparation and to select high-quality seedlings, further stressing that these factors had helped to provide the foundation of a successful project.
“Success is only granted by God,” he said, as he expressed the hope that the coming years will witness the wider cultivation of the crop across the Kingdom’s regions.
