January 18, 2014 Muscat
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MoAF) has started a modern irrigation project to tide over scarcity of water in niyabat Samad A'Shan in Mudhaibi.
Talking about the benefits of the new project in Falaj al Maidin in Samad A'Shan, Eng Saleh bin Mohammed al Abri, director general of agricultural development, MoAF said, "In the first place, the project aims at rationalising water consumption.
"Secondly, it will help overcome water scarcity and drought.
"The project will also contribute in improving irrigation management, raising efficiency of the current irrigation system, and also in introducing modern methods to check loss of water in canals and developing and improving agricultural practices in terms of restructuring cropping pattern.
"This will help farmers' reliance on manpower and expand planting areas."
He said that the ministry has started training programmes for farmers on operating and maintaining the modern irrigation systems.
Salem bin Mohammed bin Salem al Habsi, another senior official in the ministry said, "This system has greatly helped us streamline water consumption and will increase agricultural production in the country. It will also help during drought and water scarcity, especially when the water flow in aflaj is low. Because of the new irrigation system, we are able to extend the agricultural area and plant other crops."
Habsi further added, "After setting up the system, we have been able to cultivate (Omani) wheat on larger areas and the crop is being watered using this modern method."
The ministry has implemented similar projects under Five Year Plans. These include the Raf Farm project in Nizwa and the Shraijah village project in Jebel Akhdar in Dakhliyah; the Falaj al Masharib project in Ibri, Dhahirah and the Rakat Rawashid project in Sohar.
© Muscat Daily 2014