Hassan Al -Sitry
“The committee has set specific criteria for the award, the most important of which is to enjoy the required efficiency, and to be an authentic Bahraini farmer, in addition to that, the farmer must be interested in developing itself continuously, using modern technologies, and following agricultural instructions.
One of the basic conditions is also to have a card issued by the Ministry of Agriculture.
“It can be observed that farmers have become more dependent on themselves, and they are working to develop their own knowledge, and some of them adopt new agricultural methods, and choose agricultural varieties that are not pre -available, and it can be said that they are honorable competition, as each farmer competes to achieve distinctive production of high quality according to moral values.”
Habib continued: «What we do is setting specific criteria for the award, then we visit farmers twice: the first is before the start of the agriculture process for preparation, and the second after production to review the results, in these visits, we focus on the differences in performance between farmers, as we follow how they apply modern methods in agriculture, and we make sure that the producer is completely Bahraini local, we also ask the question: Is this product able to compete in the market? And can it be a basis for ensuring future food security?, And this is in line with the national strategy for achieving Bahraini food security, a goal that His Majesty the great King affirmed.
For his part, the farmer, Ali Ashour, the winner of the Best Bahraini Award, said: “We are always striving to study the market, and since we participate annually in the farmers market, we get to know the needs of customers and what the local market may lack in Bahrain.
Accordingly, we import the seeds and conduct studies and research on them to ensure that they are appropriate and developed in agriculture, where we plant about ten types of tomatoes, and two to three options, it can be said that we produce approximately 45 to 50 types of crops, we work hard to ensure the availability of these products throughout the year ».
Regarding the changes that occurred after the launch of the initiative and the award, he said: “There is a clear change in the volume of production, because the farmer today is completely different from the farms a few years ago, and this initiative and the annual His Majesty Award pays every farmer to compete better and to show its maximum capabilities, not only for the material value of the award, but for the pride that every farmer feels after winning it.”
He continued: «We noticed an increase in production ranging between 30% and 40% compared to the previous one, and it is expected that these proportions will continue to rise annually.
This award encourages us to improve ourselves year after year, and does not make us stop at a certain level. ”
For his part, the winner of the Best Research Award said. Majed Ahmed: “I was honored to present a research entitled“ Study the schedule of the deficient irrigation and its impact on the invading exchange, the characteristics of dates, their efficiency, and their productivity.
He added: “This honor comes in appreciation of the efforts existing in scientific research, and I hope that there will be future cooperation to implement the results of the study here in the Kingdom of Bahrain, or anywhere it needs.”
On the details of the study, he explained: “The aim of it was to measure the effect of irrigation missing on palm trees. We are working in a dry environment, and therefore the priority is to raise the efficiency of water use instead of focusing on increasing productivity only in areas that suffer from water scarcity and salty soil like our Arab region, it becomes more complicated, and requires carefully studied solutions, the study aims to determine the optimum missing irrigation that maintains the efficiency of water use at the highest possible level with appropriate productivity ».
He pointed out that «the problem is that high productivity requires huge water resources, so we need to achieve the maximum benefit from the amount of water used, which the study focused on.
On the expected results, he said, “The study was part of a research series that we started in 2016, from which five research has been published so far. This published research is the second in this series, and it has been shown that by using the sub -surface irrigation system by 60 to 75% of the water designated according to the studied controls, high productivity can be achieved, as the primary goal was to provide at least 40% of the required water compared to traditional methods ».
For his part, the farmer Mirza Hassan, the winner of the Best Farms Award, said: “My feeling of this award is difficult to describe in words, it is a mixture of pride and happiness, especially as it is presented by His Majesty the King, this honor means a lot to me. It is a great incentive that reflects the value of the work that we offer and our relevant efforts. ”
He continued: «We are keen to be present throughout the year, whether in the winter, summer or spring seasons. Our production circle is continuing; Because we seek to provide the best quality in the local market.
Our production is diverse and large, and we are committed to providing supplies that meet the large requests for the market, and thank God, this is what makes the Bahraini farmer special. ”
He added: “In terms of developments, we have made wide steps during the past years thanks to planning and hard work. If you compare production now with what we were producing 10 years ago, you will find a big difference; Production has doubled in a huge manner. For example, it was not the same tone today. ”
He added: «Bahraini tomatoes today cover about 80% of the market during certain periods thanks to our continuous improvements in agriculture and the use of new technologies such as agricultural reserves and vertical agriculture, and thanks to this award and our belief in development, we have expanded the number of agricultural reserves from 10 to more than 60 reserves in recent years, and we have introduced various new varieties such as broccoli and other fruit vegetables, in addition to many innovative crops that Consider the needs of the country’s food security. ”
As for tomatoes in particular, he explained that it is “the main product in Bahrain, and it is considered an essential element in food security and local consumption. Local production of tomatoes covers a large percentage of the market, notes a noticeable abundance of Bahraini tomatoes that spread widely in the market thanks to the efforts of farmers, and we, as Bahraini farmers, do not deny the existence of challenges, but we believe in the balanced coordination between local and imported production.
Our goal is that the Bahraini product remains a first option for the consumer because of its quality and freshness, in the end, the priority remains always to develop this vital sector and improve production to support food security in Bahrain and enhance self -sufficiency. We seek sustainability and innovation in every step we offer. ”
