Al-Baha’s Palm Tree Industry Yields Over 2,000 Tons of Dates Annually

Al-baha: Palm cultivation in the Al-Baha Region is a vital agricultural activity due to its significant economic and nutritional value, as well as the promising opportunities it provides for developing agricultural products and date-related processing industries, particularly in Al-Aqiq Governorate, which is considered one of the region's most suitable areas for palm cultivation. According to Saudi Press Agency, Director of the Non-Profit Sector and Agricultural Solutions Department at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture's branch in the Al-Baha Region, Saeed Al-Ghamdi, stated that statistics indicate the region has more than 140,000 palm trees, producing over 2,000 tons of dates annually. He emphasized the importance of this activity in supporting the agricultural sector and enabling farmers to make optimal use of available resources and potential. He highlighted the role of the Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program (Saudi Reef) in supporting palm farmers and workers in processin g industries associated with palm products by providing non-refundable financial support in accordance with approved regulations and requirements, with the aim of developing rural agricultural activities and improving production efficiency. Processing industries, in turn, make use of palm products and diversify them, opening broader marketing opportunities, increasing their added value, and boosting farmers' economic returns. This helps enhance the sustainability of the activity and supports the development of the agricultural sector in the Al-Baha Region.