|
 Introduction
It has long been recognized that the importance of agriculture to the Kingdom extends beyond that of its contribution to national output alone.
At the end of the Third Plan period almost half of the Kingdom's population was living in rural areas and a significant proportion of total Saudi employment was in agriculture. Apart from the strategic significance of increasing domestic food production for a growing population, the planned development of agriculture fulfills other important roles. It generates employment both within the sector and in closely related agro-industries. It contributes to the diversification of the economic base and to import substitution, while raising income levels and improving rural living standards for both settled and nomadic communities alike. This has a positive influence on the population balance and helps to prevent population drift to urban centers.
A further important aspect of agricultural development in the Kingdom is its role in maintaining the ecological balance through combating desertification.
Agricultural development began in earnest in the Kingdom in the 1970s. The Government implemented an integrated program of agricultural development, involving improvement of the infrastructure, mechanization and training. Intensive dairy and meat farming were so successfully introduced that, within a decade, the Kingdom's farmers were providing sufficient quantities of many basic foods to supply the nation's requirements.
Development of fishing has not been neglected. Traditional fishing has grown in recent years and there has been a steady growth in the number of fish farms, predominantly along the Red Sea coast. Aquaculture is seen as a major element in the expansion of the Kingdom's fishing industry. As evidence of the Kingdom's commitment, the Government encouraged and participated in the establishment of a joint-stock company, the Saudi Fish Company, with a capital of SR 100 million. This company has succeeded in establishing its own fishing fleet and provides a variety of fish and shrimps both for home consumption and for export.
Most remarkable of all, the Kingdom, which had been an importer of wheat, became self-sufficient in 1984 and thereafter an exporter to such countries as China, European Union countries and Russia.
Top
Agriculture: Large Scale Mechanization
The encouragement of large-scale mechanized agriculture was identified in the Third Plan as a priority for investment in the Kingdom's efforts to induce structural change in the economy.
The positive investment response from the private sector to a high level of government support exceeded even the high expectations of the Plan. Substantial private sector funds were channeled into agriculture, attracted by profit opportunities which, particularly in wheat production, were almost guaranteed. Many large-scale farms, utilizing the latest technology, machinery and equipment, were established.
The output effect of this level of private investment and government support has been one of the Kingdom's major successes.
Top
Wheat Production
The local production of wheat in the Kingdom in 1970 was no more than 3,000 tons. By 1986, production had risen to 2,544,138 tons and, by 1991 had reached no less than 3.8 million tons. The success of the expansion of wheat production in a desert country surpassed all expectations and enabled the Kingdom to become a major exporter.
In 2000, wheat production stood at 1,787,542 tons.
Top
Agricultural Production Statistics for 1999/2000
| Agricultural Statistics for 1999-2000 |
| Produce in tons |
1999 |
2000 |
| Cereals |
2,234,000 |
2,170,794 |
| Dates |
650,000 |
734,844 |
| Fruit |
1,244,000 |
1,188,460 |
| Vegetables |
2,757,000 |
1,927,013 |
| Wheat |
1,804,000 |
1,787,542 |
This information was taken from:
http://www.saudinf.com/main/f113.htm
Top
Agricultural Research Stations and Centers
As a result of its awareness of the importance of research and its responsibility for achieving the best results, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water, as it was then, established a number of centers and stations, which through experimentation and economic and analytical studies, aim to employ the most modern means for the development of agricultural and animal resources.
Moreover, Saudi cadres are being trained in these centers and stations in order to raise their efficiency and level of qualifications. The results of all such research are being published and distributed among farmers and other relevant institutions in order to share the ensuing benefits.
Top
Agricultural Training
In view of the importance of training human resources for the preparation of technical cadres highly efficient in different agricultural fields, the
Ministry of Agriculture and Water, as it was then, established several training centers in numerous agricultural regions, such as Riyadh, al-Qasim, al-Hofuf and Jizan, to train officials from the Ministry and farmers and their children. Also, Ministry officials and some farmers are being sent for training in international centers and universities which are advanced in specialized fields, so that, on their return, they can apply their knowledge in the Kingdom, after adapting it to the agricultural needs and conditions of Saudi Arabia.
Top
Forest and Grazing Land
Forests spread south west of the Kingdom in an area of about 18 million Donum. The government has undertaken many procedures for their protection and conservation, in addition to the building of 20 nurseries in different areas to produce the necessary seedlings for the development and expansion of forests. It has planted tree barriers in the form of defensive lines to stop creeping sands, and has used trees for similar purposes alongside the main roads outside the cities in the eastern region.
Natural grazing land accounts for approximately 75% of the land in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This led the Ministry of Agriculture and Water, as it was then, to establish a center specializing in the study of the development and protection of pastures, as a basis for increasing animal resources.
Top
Desalination
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occupies the highest rank among all the states of the world in the production of potable water from the sea. The General Organization of Sea Water Desalination was formed to supervise all desalination projects in the Kingdom.
The volume of production capacity of the desalination stations in 1994 (1414/15 AH) had reached 714,218,000 gallons per day, which enabled the Kingdom, after covering the needs of the cities and villages on its eastern and western coasts for potable water, to introduce desalinated sea water into the heart of the Arabian Peninsula for the first time in its history.
The volume of production capacity of the desalination stations in 1999 enabled the Kingdom, after covering the potable water needs of the cities and villages on its eastern and western coasts, to introduce desalinated water into the heart of the Arabian Peninsula.
It now feeds Riyadh, the capital, with potable water from the Gulf, 500 kilometers away, and feeds the Holy City of Madinah with potable water from the Red Sea 200 kilometers away. Work is being undertaken to transport desalinated water to the Holy City of Makkah, the summer resort of Taif, and the region of Asir in the south of the Kingdom, which has meant that subterranean water can be allocated to agricultural purposes.
Desalination now forms part of the responsibilities of the Ministry of Water and Electricity.
Top
Subterranean Water Projects
The Ministry of Agriculture and Water, as it was then, established several large and self-contained projects to extract subterranean water in order to provide the population of the Kingdom in different areas with good quality water. The largest are the water project in the city of Riyadh and the Jiddah water project feeding the city of Jiddah. If the other self-contained water projects covering different town and villages and bedouin centers are included, the Kingdom can now boast that pure water is available to every home in all corners of Saudi Arabia.
Top
Dams and Reservoirs Projects
In order to exploit rain and flood waters as efficiently as possible, the Ministry has concentrated on building severaldams in different areas. Before 1975 (1395 AH), there were 16 dams; the number had increased to 190 by 1999 (1419/20 AH). These dams contribute to the increase of subterranean water reserves and the provision of potable water, as well as helping to protect plantations and some villages against the flooding which previously threatened them as a result of sudden torrential rises in the level of water.
Among the major dams in the Kingdom is the dam of WadiNajran with a storage capacity of 85 million cubic meters, the dam of WadiJizan
with a storage capacity of 75 million cubic meters, the dam of Wadi Fatima on the outskirts of the Holy City of Makkah with a storage capacity of 20 million cubic meters, and the Wadi Bisha dam, the largest dam in the Kingdom and the second largest concrete dam in the Middle East.
Top
Recycling of Purified Sewage Projects
These projects aim at recycling purified sewage water for agricultural and industrial use. The first project was established in the city of Riyadh and saves about 200,000 cubic meters of purified water per day, water which is transported through pipes to plantations in the regions of al-Dara'is and Dairab, Arga, Al Ammariya and Al Hayer for agricultural purposes. An additional 20,000 cubic meters of such treated water is used for industrial purposes. Similar projects are planned for the cities of al-Qasim and al-Dammam.
Top
National Parks
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through its vastness, enjoys a diversity of good natural scenery ranging from mountains covered by a variety of natural vegetation and trees and wide plateaux with attractive plants in spring, to beautiful green oases in the middle of the desert, distinguished by their wildfauna, and the rich coastal regions by the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf.
The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has realized the importance of the protection of hese natural resources, which are for the enjoyment of present and future generations. It has thus been concerned with the establishment of parks, such as the National Park of Asir on the large mountainous and hilly landscape of Asir around the city of Abha.
There are also studies and designs in preparation for the establishment of modern parks in Riyadh,al-Hasa, al-Baha and in other places.
Top
References:
|
