Saudi Arabia's Green Revolution: How the Desert Nation is Becoming Self-Sufficient in Food

 The water crisis in the gulf has made it impossible for farmers to produce food, most crucially, coarse fodder. Farmers have been forced to import animal fodder at lower quality and higher cost but…until now.

                            

How is KSA growing in agriculture then?

The answer is Desert Agriculture.

 

The Arabs have converted their desert land into a crop yielding blessing via modern biotechnology and techniques.

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About Desert Agriculture

 

Desert Agriculture solves the Kingdom's food security challenges through innovative, sustainable hydroponics systems for food production. The hydroponics system, designed specifically for the desert climate, empowers local farmers by providing them with sustainable year-round crops. As a subsidiary of Aljoaib Holdings, nearly 25 years of experience in the agriculture industry bring the country the recent technology to evolve with the needs of Saudi farmers.

 

According to the reports, KSA briefed that.

 

Our hydroponic systems allow farmers to cultivate their crops at their facility at any scale. Without the need for soil, much less water must produce sustainable, year-round crops in a controlled system. Our hydroponics systems are designed explicitly for the desert climate to optimize production.

 

Agricultural Achievements

 

Saudi Arabia's agricultural development over the last thirty years has been excellent. Mountainous areas of desert have become agricultural fields – a severe accomplishment during a country that receives about four inches of rain a year, one among rock bottom rates within the planet.

 

Today, Saudi Arabia exports dairy products, wheat, dates,  eggs, fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables and flowers to markets worldwide. Dates, a staple of the Saudi diet, are presently grown for global humanitarian aid.

 

The Ministry of Agriculture is primarily liable for agricultural policy. Other government agencies include the Saudi Agricultural Bank (SAAB) disburses subsidies and grants interest-free loans. Therefore the Grain Silos and Flour Mills Organization purchases and stores wheat, constructs flour mills and produces animal feed. The government additionally offers land distribution and reclamation programs and funds research projects.

 

The private sector has portrayed a profound role in the Kingdom's agricultural development. Primarily thanks to government programs that offered long-term, interest-free loans, technical and support services, and incentives like free seeds and fertilizers, low-cost water, fuel and electricity, and duty-free imports of raw materials and machinery.

 

KSA; from Desert to Horticulture

 

Historically, agriculture within the Arabian Peninsula was limited to farming and small-scale vegetable production in widely scattered oases, except during a narrow coastal strip. Average plots cultivated enough food for the local communities, and any other was sold to passing caravans.

 

Agricultural development began in 1970. The government launched an in-depth program to promote modern farming technology, determine rural roads, irrigation networks and storage and export facilities, and encourage agricultural research and training institutions.

 

Saudi Vision 2030s Goal Of A Sustainable Future

There has been outstanding growth in the production of all essential foods. Saudi Arabia is now completely self-sufficient in several foodstuffs, including meat, milk and eggs.

 

Water, of course, remains the key to agriculture in Saudi Arabia. The dominion has effectively implemented a multifaceted program to supply the vast supplies of water necessary to target the tremendous growth of the agricultural sector.

 

A network of dams has been planned to trap and utilize precious seasonal floods. Vast underground water reservoirs are tapped through deep wells. Desalination plants are built to supply water from the ocean for household and industrial use, thus freeing other sources for agriculture.

 

These efforts have helped transform vast tracts of the desert into fertile farmland. Land under cultivation, 400,000 acres in 1976, reached enormous acres by the 21st century.

 

Dava corporation already entered into a partnership with Debets Schalke for a 44 hectares greenhouse complex in 2019. Together with the 36 hectares expansion, it will own 80 hectares of glass acreage. The deal is part of the Vision 2030 that contributes to sustainable developments in Saudi Arabia (KSA).

 

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommends that paying extra consideration in creating and nurturing the agrosystem in the desert may lead to an interference in the ecosystem of the desert, which would lead to unpleasant results.

 

Aquaculture and Shrimp Farming

One of the modern areas during which the private sector is investing with government support is aquaculture. Shrimp farming has been exceptionally successful. Most of them are located along with Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. The National Shrimp Company 'Al-Rubian', for instance, features a farm of Jeddah managed by Saudi hydro-biologists and marine engineers, whose shrimp, including the well-liked black tiger, is exported mainly to the US and Japan.

Dairy Farms

The Kingdom has promptly possessed some of the most modern and largest dairy farms in the Middle East. Milk production boasts a remarkably effective annual rate of 1,800 gallons per cow, one of the highest in the world.

From Importer To Exporter

The Kingdom's most dramatic agricultural accomplishment, highlighted worldwide, represents its rapid transformation from importer to wheat exporter. In 1978, the country successfully built its first grain silos. And within six years, in 1984, it had become self-sufficient in wheat. Shortly after that, Saudi Arabia began exporting wheat to some thirty countries, including China and the former Soviet Union. Within the major producing areas of Tabuk, Hail and Qasim, average yields reached 3.6 tons per acre.

In addition, Saudi farmers extended substantial amounts of other grains like barley, sorghum and millet. Today, within the interest of preserving precious water resources, the production of wheat and other grains has been considerably reduced.

However, the Kingdom has stepped up fruit and vegetable production by improving agricultural techniques and farmers' connections with urban consumers. Soon, Saudi Arabia may be a significant exporter of fruits and vegetables to its neighbours. Among its most efficient crops are watermelon, grapes, citrus fruits, onions, squash and tomatoes. At Jizan within the country's well-watered southwest, the Al-Hikmah Research Station produces tropical fruits, including pineapples, paw-paws, bananas, mangoes and guavas.

 

Conclusion

The water supply in Saudi Arabia has consistently been the primary constraint on agriculture, as the Kingdom has no natural lakes or rivers. Rainfall is little and irregular in the country. Cropping in the country was scattered and dependent on irrigation. But the country's sensible investment and up-gradation of techniques and technology have converted the barren sand to one of the largest crops yielding land.

RELATED: What is Desert or drylands farming

 

Article by Dr Nimra Siddiq, Pakistan