Pact to set up food inspection unit signed
MUSCAT: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR) signed a cooperation agreement with the British Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) on Tuesday.
The agreement aims at establishing a health management system for cultured organisms and ensuring the sustainability of fish farming projects in the Sultanate.
The agreement was signed by
MUSCAT: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR) and Al Madina Logistics Services (AMLS) on Monday signed an agreement to establish, manage and operate an inspection unit for the export/ import containers and trucks of fish and its products, as well as agricultural and animal products in the Governorate of North Al Batinah and Al Buraimi
The agreement was signed by Dr Saud bin Hamoud al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources; and Hassan Ihsan al Naseeb, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Madina Logistics Services.
The project consists of multidoor closed, refrigerated and nonrefrigerated inspection platforms according to international specifications and standards for the
Yaqoub bin Khalfan al Busaidi, Under-secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources for Fisheries; and Dr Tim Green, CEO of the Center.
The programme includes training of researchers in technical skills to meet the needs of the aquaculture sector, including aquaculture health, risk analysis and management, in addition to managing aquaculture data and link it to international standards for pisciculture and fisheries. simultaneous inspection of containers and trucks, in addition to cold stores for the rejected consignments until a final decision taken about them, as well as refrigerated, frozen and dry warehouses for storing samples and warehouses for goods that do not need refrigeration.
The project aims to encourage the private sector to invest in basic services that support fish, agricultural and animal sectors. It also aims to develop and raise logistical capabilities of such sectors, and to regulate the procedures for imports and exports of fish, its products, as well as agricultural and animal products. It also aims to ensure their consumption and quality, to provide services to employees in the agricultural, fish and animal sectors, and to simplify procedures and speed of completion of imports and exports at border outlets.
In her 80s, Zubaida Jawad Jaafer al Kabouri, is enjoying her days of retirement with beautiful memories of a career which began in 1972 at Al Saidiya School in Muscat and is only sad that she cannot donate blood anymore as she is o+ --- a universal donor.
When she left Muscat for education in 1944 she was six year old.
“I remember one thing I had never entered the fish market at that time. Women did not go into the souqs just like that. My maternal grandparents lived in Sur Lawatiya, but we were living outside the place. I remember the small narrow lanes. We children especially girls used to play on the beach – it was just sand then not the Muttrah Beach Front it is today. We used to make traps so that people walking would trip into the small ditch – we were naughty children. In the morning we used to go to community schools,” she recollected.
During summer she remembers that people used to go to Darsait .
“There were no houses, just land and they would make houses out of palm trees and this was before 1944. I remember once we were going to Darsait and my father was walking and my sister Bulquis and I were riding on the donkeys because we were small. That was the case then women and children would ride the donkeys and the men walked.
“I remember there was only one car owned by Gul Mohammed and at times he used to rent it as a taxi. Another reason why people wouldn’t take a car was the area was mountainous.
Her father was also a school master who commuted between Muttrah and Muscat. In July of 1944 they took the ship to a distant land – a land that spoke different languages and spoke another language. Young Zubaida found delight in all the new sights and sound, the breeze on the board of the ship.
Years passed with time spent in education and higher education until the modern renaissance began in the Sultanate under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. On July 9 she reached Karachi in a steamer and after a month her father came back to take the family to Bombay.
Soon they witnessed the partition of India and Pakistan and in the midst of commotion they boarded the train to Karachi. And it is here she completed her studies (1947-1972) including Masters. In May 1972 she returned with her father to Muttrah where she was born and had spent her childhood days.
“What I saw was almost the same. The shore I had left was just like how I had left,” she reflected. “I came back to my beloved peaceful country. At Al Saidiya School it was all boys and male teachers. Luckily I got the job at Asma School. Then I was sent to Egypt to learn Arabic which I successfully completed and returned.”
Being the head section of Girls school took her to other parts of Oman visiting schools.
“I travelled to the interior, Batinah, Dhofar and so on. I had some of the best experiences then. I pray to the Almighty to give late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos all the blessings and His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said all the blessings and guidance. It is important to note that His Majesty Sultan gave education and the health sector all the importance. Look at the women in Oman today they are in the police and army. I have seen women before 1944 and now,” she pointed out.
Soon my career took me to the Ministry of Heritage and Culture. Her Masters was in Philosophy and