RESIDENTS of Al-Sulaybiya, which produces the finest quality of gapes in Saudi Arabia, hope that the fruits of their labor will contribute toward the development of the local economy.
The region supplies more than 20,000 tons of different varieties of grapes all over the country and is very popular among customers. The seasonal production of the fruits begins in mid-July and continues till the end of September every year.
The area of Sulaybiya supplies the market with five different types of fruits that vary in color and size. These grapes are the outcome of the fresh water and fertile soil of the region.
The juices extracted from these grapes are also highly profitable. The grapes can be extracted up to three years of its cultivation and the crop consumes very little water. The grapes of this region also give a generous harvest.
The fruit is also dried and sold as raisins while their leaves are an important part of the culinary heritage across the region. The grapes yield large amounts of juice and take many forms in the food processing industry.
Mohamed Al-Faridi, a farmer in Sulaybiya, gave Al Arabiya.net a glimpse of his farm, which delivers large quantities of grapes supplied to markets of Riyadh, TaIf, Makkah and the Eastern Province cities. The farmer joined forces with a specialized transportation service to carry the product around.
Al-Faridi inherited the farm from his father and started grape farming ten years ago in partnership with one of his brothers. Today there are over 60,000 saplings of different types of grapes such as red grapes, white grapes, rose grapes and others.
Al-Faridi has trained his farm workers to take care of the crop, which needs special attention and yearly trimming. His farm is located in the famous valley of Termes, which is known for its fertile soil and fresh water resources.
He said in Sulaybiya, a large number of farmers produce thousands of tons of grapes every year. “They have developed expertise in the field of grape cultivation and production,” he said.
Al-Faridi hope that the country’s Grapes Producers Association would focus on marketing the product as well as highlighting the efforts of the farmers so that others in the country benefit from their years of experience in grape production.
According to Al-Faridi, the high end product is the result of a series of successful experiments, pointing out that the grapes in the region of Sulaybiya and the valley excel in comparison to other grapes from different parts of the world.
He said they intend to do more experiments in the coming days to showcase the distinctive quality of their grapes. — Al Arabiya English
