High heat, lack of rain affect pomegranate crop this year

The higher-than-normal temperatures, compounded by lack of rain, have adversely impacted the production of pomegranate — one of the most prized fruits cultivated in Al Jabal Al Akhdar.

Omani farmers, whose pomegranate crop is eagerly awaited by local Omanis, GCC visitors and foreign tourists, have reported a 60 per cent decline in output this year.

Sales of the locally cultivated pomegranate typically generate lucrative earnings for farmers of the Green Mountain, but a steep slump in output is expected to significantly dent their incomes this year.

“We faced a big challenge this year because of a sharp drop in spring water for irrigation,” said a farmer.

“Added to this drought-like situation was the problem of warmer temperatures, which were not conducive to the healthy growth of the crop.”

Speaking to the Observer, he said the farming community in Al Jabal Al Akhdar was bracing for a poor harvest. “We anticipate a significant decline in output this season. Although the season started well, unseasonal rains led to an outbreak of the pomegranate butterfly — which is a fruit borer that infects pomegranate flowers and seeds. The situation was made worse by the Drosophila fly that eventually ruins the emerging fruit.”

Pomegranate is native to Al Jabal Al Akhdar, having been cultivated on the mountain’s picturesque terraced farms for generations.

Pomegranates thrive in semiarid mild-temperate to subtropical climates and naturally adapt to regions with cool winters and hot summers. A humid climate adversely affects formation of the fruit.

There are more than 30,000 plants of pomegranates in Al Jabal Al Akhdar, generating in excess of RO 3 million in revenues for growers in a good year.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has been making efforts to combat insects and pests that are a threat to agricultural crops in Al Jabal Al Akhdar, among other areas of Oman.

However, the changing climate conditions, among other factors, are creating favourable conditions for insects and agricultural pests to thrive, it has been pointed out.