Agriculture & Fisheries
From The Report: Oman 2013
View in Online Reader

Farming and fishing play important roles in the Omani economy: more than half the local population and some 7.8% of expatriate workers are employed in these industries. This is despite the historic challenge of an arid climate and scarcity of water for crop cultivation, which have traditionally limited development. However, the implementation of modern irrigation techniques in recent times has enabled total agricultural output to grow from 989,000 tonnes in 2005 to 1.2m tonnes in 2008. Fishing is also set for good growth. More than 36,000 Omani nationals are employed in the fishing industry using traditional capture fishing methods. The government is now offering a wide array of financial and business development incentives to encourage investment and expand the segment.

This chapter includes an interview with Fuad Jaffer Al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Living off the sea: Food security and sustainability garner government attention
OBG
plus

Farming and fishing play important roles in the economy: over half the local population and some 7.8% of expatriate workers are employed in these industries, according to the Ministry of Manpower. Most use traditional techniques that have been in practise for centuries, but commercial enterprises have gained a foothold in the sector and lead in terms of innovation and efficiency. Meanwhile, a government drive to increase the sector’s share of GDP, and the challenges posed by water shortages and…

Analysis

Reduce, reuse and recycle: Hydroponics offer a greater return on water inputs
OBG
plus

The introduction of new technologies and processes is a key driver of change in all agricultural sectors – and Oman is no exception. In common with most Middle Eastern states, the availability of water has defined the modes and geographical distribution of the sultanate’s agricultural activity, resulting in livestock rearing in the southern Dhofar area of the country and the cultivation of crops in the northern Al Batinah region. Unsurprisingly, agricultural innovation in Oman has often sprung…

Interview

OBG talks to Fuad Jaffer Al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth
OBG
plus

Interview: Fuad Jaffer Al Sajwani In what way is policy being shaped to boost value-added agriculture and aquaculture manufacturing industries that stimulate economic diversification? FUAD JAFFERAL SAJWANI: A significant part of Oman’s agricultural and fisheries production, consumed domestically or exported, is in raw form. On the domestic front, there is a need to process this to increase the shelf life of farm products, as well as to reduce post-harvest losses. On the export front, there…

Analysis

A life aquatic: Improving the undersea economy
OBG
plus

While Oman’s seafaring heritage and 3165 km of coastline has meant the country has been home to capture fisheries activity since time immemorial, the nation’s aquaculture industry remains at a nascent stage – despite government efforts to encourage its growth dating back decades. A Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth (MoAFW) sponsored report in 1985 initially identified the potential of Oman as a location for aquaculture activity and proposed a number of development options and candidate…