During the workshop of the Asharqia Chamber Qatif branch
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture: 180 services provided automatically to farmers, breeders, and fishermen
The branch of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture in the Eastern Province reviewed several services it provides to farmers, breeders, fishermen, and the business sector to improve agricultural services in a way that is reflected in healthy and safe agricultural production, based on the region’s distinguished products such as palms, Sidr, almonds, and citrus, And the protected and exposed vegetables, as well as figs, berries, and papayas, as well as the fish wealth resulting from the region's view of the Arabian Gulf.
The Director of Plant Wealth at the Ministry's branch in Qatif Governorate, Zaki bin Ahmed Al Abbas, said that the ministry currently provides more than 180 electronic services that facilitate the farmer, breeder, and fisherman to communicate with the ministry or one of its branches and obtain the service without trouble, including applying for support, obtaining licenses, inquiries and submitting Notices and other services. He pointed out that the Kingdom won the World Summit on the Information Society Award for the year 2022 AD after achieving first place in the category of digital agriculture and electronic services on the Nama portal of the Ministry.
Al-Abbas added during a workshop organized by the Asharqia Chamber represented by its Business Council in the Qatif Governorate (Sunday 25/September 2022) and moderated by the Chairman of the Council, Abdul Raouf Al-Matrood, that the ministry provides smart agricultural extension services that include smart identification and treatment of plant diseases, agricultural samples analysis, and an automated guide. Smartphone, access to central markets, weather alerts, learn about the best global experiences, interact with the agricultural extension agents, and track the agricultural guide convoy.
He stressed that the Ministry was implementing a program of good agricultural practices at the current time (Saudi jab), which aims to save and improve irrigation water consumption in agriculture through the use of modern irrigation methods, Rationalizing the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers and increasing the use of organic fertilizers, which improves soil properties and fertility, thereby improving their ability to retain irrigation water, encouraging farmers to grow more economically valuable crops such as fruits and vegetables, Opening new indoor and outdoor marketing outlets for them, improving agricultural processes and practices, In addition to increasing agricultural production and improving its specifications, improving facilities, working conditions, and workers, Rehabilitation and training of farmers and technicians and enhancement of consumers' confidence in local agricultural products through their access to a healthy and safe food product.
Al-Abbas reviewed the Ministry's aspirations for agriculture in the qatif governorate and believes that the development of the sector in the governorate comes through joining cooperative agricultural societies and benefiting from their services and their potential and services provided by the Ministry. Investing in the agricultural sector in its various plant, animal, and fishery sectors through the establishment of pilot projects in the production of vegetables, aquaculture, and fish farming with its suspended and open systems, livestock and poultry breeding projects whiteness and solvency, and to benefit from the support provided and services provided by the Ministry and the establishment of leading agricultural companies working in the areas of agricultural management or integrated pest management. Invest in agricultural marketing through internationally linked online platforms to market local agricultural products. Investment in rural agricultural tourism, investment in manufacturing, recycling of agricultural waste and post-harvest transactions, increasing the agricultural area, stopping the transition and reluctance from agriculture by providing ideas and insights that increase production at the lowest cost to establish investment companies in the fields of marketing and agro-manufacturing.
