By John Lopez  

THE Sultanate of Oman, situated at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula , facing the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman , is the third largest country in the peninsula after Saudi Arabia and Yemen . For centuries, agriculture and fisheries have contributed to the subsistence of life in Oman under climatic conditions of extreme heat and scarce rainfall. Never before has there been a vital need for a continuing growth of agriculture and food production, thanks to the increasing number of population. It was not until the commercial discovery of oil and its production in 1967 that the country was able to embark on its development.  

Agriculture has been the vein of life in Oman and still represents a significant amount of income for many people who live in these countries. Because of the underestimation and misconceptions associated with it, the reality is that farming practices have never improved and farmers and their family members continue to leave this traditional and important profession. A large percentage of the Omani population lives in rural villages. More than 40 per cent of the Omani population is involved in agriculture.

The coastal Batinah plain extending north-westwards from just north of Muscat to the border with the UAE, and to the east of the Hajjar range, is the most densely populated and heavily cultivated region of the country. Agriculture is totally dependent on irrigation from fresh-water wells sunk into the aquifers, which in turn derives from the rains that fall over the adjacent mountains. High quality dates are the major product of the Batinah plain, while lime is also grown in quantity, dried and exported. Mangoes, bananas and other fruits are also grown, as well as tomatoes, onions, aubergines and tobacco, for local consumption. The area under cultivation on the Batinah coast has increased greatly in the last quarter of a century. Introduction of the diesel pump in place of the donkey as a means of raising water from wells has resulted in many more wells being sunk and more water being drawn from the aquifers.  

Inland on both flanks of the Hajjar mountains there is considerable areas of cultivation in the wadi beds dependent on water supplied by falaj. In the south, on the coastal plain around Salalah, coconut palms are grown in place of date palms, which are not suited to the local climate. Bananas thrive in quantity on the coastal plain, with papaya and other fruits. Cattle fodder is also grown, but there are plans to transfer fodder cultivation to the inland side of the coastal range, in view of increasing pressure on water resources on the coastal plain.

 The coast-facing mountain slopes behind the coastal plain are traditional cattle-breeding areas of the Jabali tribesmen, the only ones in the Sultanate. Until recently, the Jabali reared cattle only for their milk; now, with good road links to northern Oman , where beef is in increasing demand, the Jabali are being encouraged to export their cattle to the north. This will not only profit the local population, but also relieve the pressure on the grazing lands. The Sultanate is now the leading livestock producer in the Gulf region, with half a million heads of cattle, goats, sheep and camels.  

The government aims at increasing local goat production and reduce dependence on imports and hence, model sheep production units are being set up, and the latest technology is being applied to improve fertility, lower death-rates and increase growth-rates. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is supplying breeders with concentrated feed, as well as fertilisers and seed for the production of fodder. A ministry project aims to increase the production of milk and other dairy products, give dairy farmers marketing assistance and equipment, and introduce them to modern herd management techniques.  

Artificial insemination is to improve local cattle through cross-breeding with selected imported strains, while the beef production project is to produce economically feasible, good quality beef the whole year round. Protection and immunisation are clearly of great importance.  

The falaj irrigation system is the most complex irrigation system in the traditional agriculture of Oman . It is still the vein of water upon which many villages and farms rely on. Much of the falaj distribution is traditionally managed and maintained.  

The agriculture sector, which includes fisheries, is a labour intensive sector. A significant number of Omani population is still engaged in the agricultural and fisheries industry. According to rough estimates, about 27 per cent of Oman ’s labour force is employed in the agriculture and fishery sector. As of May 2002, some 64,402 people were engaged in agriculture and fisheries sector. At the end of 2001, the sector employed 63,333. In respect of employment, the agriculture and fisheries sector stands at the fifth place. This explains the importance of this sector in the national economy.  

At the end of 2001, this sector contributed RO153.9 million to the GDP, up 2.7 per cent over the previous year’s contribution of RO149.8 million. Fisheries sector’s contribution rose by 3.8 per cent from RO48.7 million in 2000 to RO50.5 million in the year 2001.  

In the case of agriculture, this stood at RO103.4 million, a 2.2 per cent up from the year 2000’s contribution of RO101.1 million.  

Oman ’s initiatives in the agriculture sector have also been appreciated by international organisations. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) had praised the efforts of the Omani government in agriculture and fisheries sectors.  

FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf was of the opinion that the Omani government had sought to create a socially and economically important role for members of the Omani community who mostly live in rural areas.

 He mentioned that as a result of official development efforts, the two sectors managed to contribute products worth $400 million in the late nineties; up from $44 million in 1970.  

The agricultural and fishing products are among top non-oil exports of Oman . Jacques also lauded the steps taken by the government to tackle ground water extraction and the problems of water resources depletion and the increase in water salinity.  

He pointed out that despite the improvements made in the Omani agricultural sector a lot could still be done in the areas of crop production, livestock, fisheries, afforestation and wildlife conservation etc.