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Olive and olive oil production in KSA

Agricultural Achievements


The 1970s marked the beginning of serious modern agricultural development in the Kingdom.

The government launched an extensive program to promote modern farming technology; to establish rural roads, irrigation networks and storage and export facilities; and to encourage agricultural research and training institutions.

The result has been a phenomenal growth in the production of all basic foods. With substantial amounts of meat, milk, and eggs, Saudi Arabia is now completely self-sufficient in a number of foodstuffs.

The increased food production brought about a proportional decline in food imports; and in fact Saudi Arabia now exports wheat, dates, dairy products, eggs, fish, poultry, vegetables and flowers to markets around the world.

Intensive dairy, meat, poultry and egg farming were all introduced early in the program, and already by 1985, local farms were satisfying domestic demand for many products previously imported. The Kingdom now has some of the most modern and largest dairy farms in the Middle East. Milk production boasts a remarkably productive annual rate of 1,800 gallons per cow, one of the highest in the world.

While fish production through traditional off-shore fishing has been constantly on the increase, the Kingdom is exploring ways of further increasing its catch and encouraging greater private investment.



One of the new areas in which the private sector is investing with government support is aquaculture. The number of fish farms, either using pens in the sea or tanks onshore, has been increasing steadily. Most are located along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. Shrimp farming has been particularly successful. The National Shrimp Company ‘Al-Rubian’, for example, has a farm south of Jeddah managed by Saudi hydro-biologists and marine engineers, whose shrimp, including the preferred black tiger, is exported mainly to the United States and to Japan.


The Kingdom’s most dramatic agricultural accomplishment, noted worldwide, was its rapid transformation from importer to exporter of wheat. In 1978, the country built its first grain silos. By 1984, it had become self-sufficient in wheat. Shortly thereafter, Saudi Arabia began exporting wheat to some thirty countries, including China and the former Soviet Union, and in the major producing areas of Tabuk, Hail and Qasim, average yields reached 3.6 tons per acre.

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


The Kingdom has, however, stepped up fruit and vegetable production, by improving both agricultural techniques and the roads that link farmers with urban consumers. Saudi Arabia is a major exporter of fruits and vegetables to its neighbors. Among its most productive crops are watermelon, grapes, citrus fruits, onions, squash and tomatoes. At Jizan in the country’s well-watered southwest, the Al-Hikmah Research Station is producing tropical fruits including pineapples, paw-paws, bananas, mangoes and guavas.



This agricultural transformation has altered the country’s traditional diet somewhat, supplying a diversity of local foods unimaginable a few generations ago. Dates are no longer the vital staple for Saudi Arabians that they were in the past, although they still constitute an important supplementary food. Much of the annual production of dates, estimated at around half a million tons and comprising some 450 different kinds, is used as international humanitarian aid.

Several factories, including one in Al-Hasa, are dedicated entirely to the production of dates for foreign aid and donate tens of thousands of tons of dates each year to relieve famine and food shortages, mainly through the World Food Program (WFP) of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Many countries have directly benefited from Saudi Arabia’s food aid offered through the WFP, and the Kingdom is second only to the United States in contributions to the program.


Read more: http://www.riyadhvision.com.sa/abou...ater/agricultural-achievements/#ixzz51rDZvcnT





 
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What's the importance of this thread ???

If we are going to open a new thread for every edible plant that has been cultivated in Turkey and Iran (which are produced far more than Saudi Arabia), this forum will have no space other threads.
 
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VIDEO: Olive Festival in Saudi Arabia’s al-Jawf records $2.9 mln in sales
Jazaa al-Nmasi, Al Arabiya Monday, 22 January 2018

The annual Olive Festival held in al-Jawf province concluded its 11th session, which lasted ten days and recorded nearly $2.0 mln (SAR 11 mln) worth of sales and at least 152,000 visitors who came from across the kingdom and abroad to attend.

Most of the sales were for purchasing olive oil, olives and olive products. Farmers were able also to make deals and market part of their future production due to the increasing demand for olive oil.

Al Arabiya’s Jazaa al-Nmasi reports from al-Jawf.

Last Update: Monday, 22 January 2018 KSA 23:32 - GMT 20:32

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/li...s-al-Jawf-records-2-9-mln-worth-of-sales.html


Wonderful.


What's the importance of this thread ???

If we are going to open a new thread for every edible plant that has been cultivated in Turkey and Iran (which are produced far more than Saudi Arabia), this forum will have no space other threads.

What is your problem with this? It is a far more informative thread than tons of threads posted on this section to begin with.

Many agricultural products that grow in KSA don't even grow in Turkey of Iran (tropical fruits, coffee on a large scale etc.) nor do I believe that Iran produces more olives than KSA let alone dates to mention a few things. Nor do I understand what this thread has to do with Turkey or Iran and why those two countries are grouped together? Nobody says anything about KSA being the sole country to produce olive oil, olives or other agricultural products. Plenty of Arab countries have large agricultural sectors and agriculture itself was invented in the Arab world.:lol:

This thread has been thanked by 22 users, has almost 20.000 views and many users have been posting in this thread so obviously there has been interest. If people are somehow bothered by this thread, they can stop visiting. It's very simple. Nor does this thread break any forum rules.

This thread for instance is 100 times more interesting that the thread about scarfs and women in Iran.
 
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Largest single olive tree plantation (Nadec) in the world (3.5 million olive trees) in the same Al-Jouf province. Recognized by Guinness World Records recently.


 
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Saudi environment ministry completes olive project
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Updated 31 August 2018
ARAB NEWS

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has announced that the Camel and Pasture Research Center in Al-Jouf, represented by the Olive Research Unit, has successfully produced more than 30 varieties of olives trees from different countries.
The ministry said the success was “achieved due to the suitability of the Kingdom’s environmental conditions, where some of the varieties gave high productivity.”
It said intensive agricultural techniques were introduced in 2006, which proved successful and has been expanded for large enterprises and companies, adding the most modern methods of harvesting were also introduced.
The center’s Olive Research Unit was launched in 2002, with the establishment of a hereditary complex containing more than 30 varieties from the most famous olive producing countries, including Spain, Italy, Greece, Syria, Jordan, Tunisia, Turkey, and Morocco.
The top nine categories were then selected due to their high productivity and quality.
The center produces high quality seedlings of different olive varieties, which it distributes to olive-producing farmers at nominal prices in an effort to support the industry, as olives are a widespread food security crop and an important source of healthy fats in nutrition.
Olives are grown in confined areas between latitudes of 30-45 degrees and Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that benefits from the the climate of the Mediterranean basin, particularly the northern regions of Al-Jouf, Tabuk and Hail and the southern regions of Al-Baha and Asir, where olive trees have been regarded as a blessing since ancient times.
Olive growth is suitable for mild temperates in the winter and hot temperatures in the summer.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1364476/saudi-arabia

Inside the Saudi olive farm, the largest in the world
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The kingdom consumes more than 30,000 tons of olive oil while the company produces around 15,000 tons (File)
Olive Festival in Saudi Arabia’s al-Jawf records $2.9 mln in sales, 152,000 visitors

“The company’s achievement is a testament to the efforts of the past 10 years with the support of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture which stood by the company and supported it with loans to enable it to succeed,” Abdulaziz bin Mohammed al-Hussein, the company's CEO told Al Arabiya.


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He added that Saudi Arabia imports about 30,000 tons of olive oil and there is a large increase in consumption after changing the patterns of food consumption and a great response from consumers.

Al Hussein pointed out that the annual consumption growth exceeds domestic production, as it is set at 25 per cent, while production does not exceed 10 per cent.

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He also said that the company currently owns an area of 7,730 hectares which have 5,000,000 olive trees, adding that the olive oil produced by the company has received eight quality certificates.

Hussein noted that the kingdom consumes more than 30,000 tons of olive oil while the company produces around 15,000 tons.

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He also said that the company, which owns the largest olive oil factory in the Middle East, is working on establishing a factory to produce pickled olives, adding that it will later develop its work to manufacture personal care products but this will be within two and a half years.

Al-Jouf province celebrates on yearly basis the olive tree. It organizes an annual olive festival that lasts for a couple of weeks.

The festival is the biggest of its kind in the Arab Gulf region and dozens of exhibitors display their olive products.

The region has millions of olive trees and the expected number is expected to go up to 20 million trees soon.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/bus...uinness-Records-for-largest-in-the-world.html

NEWS
Saudi Just Entered The Guinness Book For World Records For Largest Olive Tree Farm
By Guest Writer On May 6, 2018

By Febronia Hanna

Saudi Arabia entered Guinness world record this year for having the largest olive tree farm. The farm is located in the Northern region of Saudi Arabia, called Al-Jouf, specifically in Al-Basita area, and then extends to the outskirts of Tabuk region. The certificate was handed to a company with the same name, Al Jouf Agriculture Development Company.

The farm covers 7730 hectares, has 5 million olive trees and produces about 15,000 tons. As the kingdom consumes about 30 tons of the total production rate, the company is able to satisfy about half of the need of olive oil consumed by the kingdom; thus reducing imports.

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Via Gulf News

Not only is the farm very large, but it produces olive that is of very high quality. The company has received eight quality certificates so far, not to mention the quality checks done by the Guinness records’ delegation before awarding them with the certificate.

The olive tree is highly celebrated in the Gulf region by organizing an annual olive festival that lasts for a couple of weeks, with people displaying their olive products and do many festive activities.

https://scoopempire.com/saudi-just-...or-world-records-for-largest-olive-tree-farm/
 
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Saudi environment ministry completes olive project
1298726-1499498961.jpg


JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has announced that the Camel and Pasture Research Center in Al-Jouf, represented by the Olive Research Unit, has successfully produced more than 30 varieties of olives trees from different countries.
The ministry said the success was “achieved due to the suitability of the Kingdom’s environmental conditions, where some of the varieties gave high productivity.”
It said intensive agricultural techniques were introduced in 2006, which proved successful and has been expanded for large enterprises and companies, adding the most modern methods of harvesting were also introduced.
The center’s Olive Research Unit was launched in 2002, with the establishment of a hereditary complex containing more than 30 varieties from the most famous olive producing countries, including Spain, Italy, Greece, Syria, Jordan, Tunisia, Turkey, and Morocco.
The top nine categories were then selected due to their high productivity and quality.
The center produces high quality seedlings of different olive varieties, which it distributes to olive-producing farmers at nominal prices in an effort to support the industry, as olives are a widespread food security crop and an important source of healthy fats in nutrition.
Olives are grown in confined areas between latitudes of 30-45 degrees and Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that benefits from the the climate of the Mediterranean basin, particularly the northern regions of Al-Jouf, Tabuk and Hail and the southern regions of Al-Baha and Asir, where olive trees have been regarded as a blessing since ancient times.
Olive growth is suitable for mild temperates in the winter and hot temperatures in the summer.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1364476/saudi-arabia

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/lif...s-al-Jawf-records-2-9-mln-worth-of-sales.html

 
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A family member of mine, planted around 1200 olive trees (about 4 hectares) almost 6 years ago in the countryside of Al-Baha on land passed down. The yield was impressive. Which leads me to believe that all areas in KSA above the elevation of 1000 m in Western, Central and Southern KSA, are highly suitable for olive oil growth. Not purely the North and Hijaz.

Fantastic video from Al-Jouf (Northern KSA):

 
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