Growing pomegranates on Al Jabal al-Akhdar
Published as A Veritable Fruit Paradise in Times of Oman
Aftab H. Kola
Sunday, September 13, 2009 12:30:15 AM Oman Time
ONCE upon a time, the luxuriant date palm was the ‘tree of life’ in this part of the world and barring the cultivation of dates, farming in Arabia was a perpetual contest between man and nature.
But today the scene has changed dramatically with the government of Oman backing all efforts to produce fruits and vegetables in the country. Perhaps the government has self-sufficiency in mind. What government does not?
The agricultural sector plays a leading role in food self-sufficiency and in contributing considerably towards non-oil export. Due to continuous and growing inter-relationship with other economic sectors, the agricultural activities make great impact on social development as well as on employment and rural communities.
Jabal Al Akhdar, where the height of the peaks vary from 7,000 to 9,000 feet, moored high up in the central mountain ranges of Al Hajar, is not just a plethora of colour and sheer unadulterated picture-postcard mountains, but also a place where fruit orchards and roses flourish.
Seeing is believing
Come September and the mountains here bloom with a profusion of pomegranates and a variety of fruits, fruits the kind which no one would believe grow here — peaches, pears of many different origins. And so recently one fine morning we ascended the green mountain to explore the fruit oasis.
The climb up to Jabal Akhdar isn’t that tough, but one has to be careful as unlike on Indian roads, people here do not have the habit of blowing their horn while driving.
Aftab H. Kola
Sunday, September 13, 2009 12:30:15 AM Oman Time
ONCE upon a time, the luxuriant date palm was the ‘tree of life’ in this part of the world and barring the cultivation of dates, farming in Arabia was a perpetual contest between man and nature.
But today the scene has changed dramatically with the government of Oman backing all efforts to produce fruits and vegetables in the country. Perhaps the government has self-sufficiency in mind. What government does not?
The agricultural sector plays a leading role in food self-sufficiency and in contributing considerably towards non-oil export. Due to continuous and growing inter-relationship with other economic sectors, the agricultural activities make great impact on social development as well as on employment and rural communities.
Jabal Al Akhdar, where the height of the peaks vary from 7,000 to 9,000 feet, moored high up in the central mountain ranges of Al Hajar, is not just a plethora of colour and sheer unadulterated picture-postcard mountains, but also a place where fruit orchards and roses flourish.
Seeing is believing
Come September and the mountains here bloom with a profusion of pomegranates and a variety of fruits, fruits the kind which no one would believe grow here — peaches, pears of many different origins. And so recently one fine morning we ascended the green mountain to explore the fruit oasis.
The climb up to Jabal Akhdar isn’t that tough, but one has to be careful as unlike on Indian roads, people here do not have the habit of blowing their horn while driving.
