Saudi Arabia: Agriculture Ministry ready to support organic farming
“The ministry encourages any farmer who want to transform his produce to organic. The ministry will advise him on the right path to take,” Al-Watan daily quoted Al-Shehri as saying. He said organic farming is becoming popular because of the high prices of food. Consumers have also shown a preference for organic produce. The Kingdom is the second Arab country to have set rules and regulations for organic farming, Al-Shehri said.
“The ministry does not target a certain region; on the contrary, it wants organic farming to thrive in all regions. The ministry formed the Organic Farming Society to monitor agriculture and brought over experts from all over the world to train farmers on organic farming methods. Organic farming is still limited in the country but it will grow as more farmers have begun to show interest in it,” he added.
Several reports indicate a global increase by up to 20 percent in organic farming as it is free of insecticides, fertilizers, chemical hormones, or preservatives. Organic farming is completely natural and does not rely on any chemicals. It reduces environment pollution and improves human health in the long run.
Source: saudigazette.com