JEDDAH: The first Saudi organic farm plans to sell its products all over the Kingdom in special pavilions in malls and supermarkets for prices that will be 30 to 40 percent higher than nonorganic produce, said the farm's owner Yahya Al-Mahdi.
He said the farm's produce is chemical-free and will carry a special logo to differentiate them from the produce of ordinary farms that use chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Al-Mahdi described his farm as unique and said he established it about 25 years ago as the first organic farm in the Kingdom. "Organic horticulture means that the plants, trees, vegetables and weeds are all free of any chemicals. We never use any chemicals in our soil," he said.
Al-Mahdi said that through the establishment of his farm he wants to preserve the health of people and animals.
"We also save a lot of water and have no waste in this regard," he said.
He added that the farm occupies an area of about 100,000 square meters and contains all types of fruits, vegetables and fodder.
"We also give special attention to animal production. We have many animals, which feed on natural fodder," he added.
The farm is located in Radhaf, a remote area north of Abha. "Myself, my sons and daughters and a few foreign hands work in the farm which is a model farm," he said.
Al-Mahdi said the farm has received certificates of recognition from the European Union, the German BCS, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Water, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and others.
He said many visitors from Europe, the GCC countries, Japan and the US make it a point to come to the farm when they visit Asir, especially in the summer.
"Because we do not use chemicals we incur losses when there is no rain," he said.
According to Al-Mahdi, unlike the produce of non-organic farms, organic produce can be stored for months without going off. "They do not lose taste with time," he said.
He pointed out that there are special places at the market in Abha selling his produce. "The consumers do not know the quality of our chemical-free products. They shy away from us because our prices are higher than those of ordinary farms," he said.
© Arab News 2011
