MUSCAT: The Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources and the Omani Indian Fertilizer Company (OMIFCO), on Wednesday, signed an agreement to finance smart vegetable farms. The signing of this agreement comes within the framework made by the Ministry to boost the food security system in the Sultanate of Oman.

The agreement was signed by His Excellency Dr. Ahmed bin Nasser Al Bakri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, and Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Fannah Al Araimi, Director of Sustainability and Institutional Communication, on behalf of the company.

The project includes the use of plant factory technology, a closed agricultural system in which light, temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide concentrations necessary for plant growth are artificially controlled. Also, plants are grown vertically in traditional greenhouses, which would increase crop production per unit area. The system enables the farmer to achieve stable cultivation and production of vegetables, especially leafy ones, throughout the year.

The project includes two phases, first being the technology is introduced, studied and evaluated under the conditions in Oman for an entire year; in the second phase, this technology will be made available for farmers.

This project aims at introducing, evaluating and disseminating smart farm technology to contribute to strengthening the food security system and achieving higher rates of self-sufficiency in agricultural products to meet the growing consumer need for vegetable products, especially leafy ones, capacity building, rehabilitation and training of technicians and farmers in the use of technologies smart farms

It also aims to support and encourage farmers, job seekers, small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs to adopt the outputs of applied studies to implement pioneering projects in the use of smart farm technologies, which will reflect positively on their income level and contribute to strengthening the food security system in the Sultanate of Oman.

This project will contribute to enabling farmers to produce leafy vegetables throughout the year at the lowest costs, in high quantity and quality, to produce a safe and pesticide-free product.

The project is expected to provide investment opportunities for job seekers, enabling them to build their future and improve their income. This technology will also contribute to saving between 40-60 percent of water and fertiliser consumption compared to regular systems.