Oman plans cloud seeding for artificial rain
INVESTMENT IN FOOD PROJECTS TO HIT RO 1.65 BILLION
Majlis Ash’shura hosted Dr Saud bin Hamoud al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, on Thursday. The session discussed the performance of the food and water security sector and its contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) within the context of the 10th Five-year Development Plan (2021-2025).
Dr Saud pointed out that the ministry embarked on measures to align its strategies with Oman Vision 2040, with emphasis on enhancing the food security in the Sultanate of Oman.
Dr Saud said that the ministry is working on cloud seeding to induce artificial rain to resolve the water deficit in the country. The ministry has set up 13 cloud seeding stations of which 11 are on the eastern and western Hajar mountains, and two in Dhofar Governorate. The percentage of increase in the amount of rainfall over the past years ranged from approximately 15 per cent to 18 per cent.
The minister explained that the total volume of food production from plant, animal and fisheries sources increased from 3.9 million tonnes in 2019 to 4.7 million tonnes in 2022, up by 6.4 per cent.
The total value of food production between 2019 and 2022 grew by 9.6 per cent from RO 958 million to RO 1.261 billion, he added. The minister said that publicprivate sector food security laboratories generated a number of agriculture, fisheries and water investment projects that consolidate food and water security system in the Sultanate of Oman. Among those, 137 projects have been outlined and envisaged to have an investment value of approximately RO 1.656 billion. After the implementation of the next phase, the projects are expected to provide about 852,000 tonnes of plant, animal and fisheries products, the minister added.