RIYADH: The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s branch in the Northern Borders Region has launched the Farmers’ Market Festival in Rafha with the participation of several government and non-government entities to advance agricultural development and food security objectives.
The four-day festival, launched on Thursday, aims to support local farmers and productive families, according to the ministry.
The festival promotes the marketing of locally produced agricultural products through direct sales outlets that help to increase the economic value of national products.
It also showcases the high-quality agricultural products that Rafha is known for.
The festival features pavilions displaying dates, vegetables, fruits, honey and other rural and food products, as well as awareness and guidance programs highlighting sustainable agricultural practices and emphasizing the importance of supporting local production to advance agricultural development and food security objectives.
The ministry’s branch in the Northern Borders region has invited the public to visit the festival and benefit from its activities, which support local farmers and producers and encourage the consumption of Saudi products.
Praising the effort, Manzer Hussain Siddiqui, a professor at the Department of Botany and Microbiology, King Saud University, told Arab News: “To achieve Saudi Vision 2030 goals, these initiatives provide farmers with science-based advice on soil health, crop nutrition, pest and disease control, better cultivars, and post-harvest techniques. This aims to boost productivity, resource efficiency, reduce waste, support food security and promote sustainable farming.”
He added: “Agriculture scientists, and agronomists including researchers at the KSU, support local farmers via research, training, extension services and sustainable tech suited to arid environments as their efforts aim to improve the cultivation, productivity, quality and sustainability of local products like dates, vegetables, wheat, fruits, dairy and poultry.
“By increasing local farmers’ awareness about water-saving technologies like drip and smart irrigation, along with efficient water management and the safe use of treated wastewater, we can work together to conserve precious water resources and make irrigation more effective.
“Likewise, encouraging the use of heat, drought and salinity-tolerant crops, as well as greenhouse and hydroponic farming methods, can help farmers in sustaining and increasing crop yields in Saudi Arabia’s extreme arid climate. This approach supports the long-term sustainability and resilience of agricultural systems,” he said.
