SABIC’s Agricultural Awareness Caravan to support date farmers

RIYADH — An Agricultural Awareness Caravan, a new SABIC initiative to support the date farming community in Saudi Arabia in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the Arab Fertilizer Association, was launched in Riyadh last Nov. 13. The Caravan will provide advisory services to date palm farmers with the aim of raising their efficiency in farming methods and help seek solutions to their problems in the field. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Anas Kentab, SABIC Executive Vice President, Agri-Nutrients, Dr. Saud bin Mohammed Al Huqail, Director of Agricultural Awareness, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Jamal Edeen bin Sari, Vice-Chairman of the Arab Fertilizer Association. After the inaugural ceremony, the Caravan, comprising five specially equipped vehicles, began its journey from the front of the SABIC headquarters on a tour of Al-Riyadh, Al-Ahsa, Qassim, and Madina regions, to end on Dec. 8. The five vehicles are equipped with supplies and specialized equipment, including an internet-enabled computer, audio-visual systems, and a mobile lab to analyze soil and water samples for possible on-the-spot solutions. As part of the Caravan’s program, agricultural specialists from SABIC and the ministry will visit a number of farms in the region and advise farmers on correct palm cultivation methods. The specialists will hold open meetings with the farmers and respond to any queries that they may have on palm cultivation. They will help farmers apply various mechanisms in growing and caring for palm trees, address their problems scientifically, create awareness among them on plant diseases and pests, especially the red palm weevil, and promote prevention and control methods. A mobile exhibition showcasing devices to detect the red palm weevil and other related exhibits will be part of the Caravan. It will reach out to agricultural laborers, students and guesthouse owners to educate them on how to eradicate the harmful pest. The Caravan initiative, which is an important tool to achieving SABIC’s 2025 strategy through communication and engagement with farmers, is a step toward further enhancing the ongoing strategic cooperation between the ministry and SABIC for the benefit of the domestic agricultural sector. — SG