March 21, 2022/ Socotra Online
Reporting and Photography: Ahmed Noah
As part of his series of continuous visits to the Archipelago, Major General Salem Abdullah Al Socotri, the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries, inspected the model farms of the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation in the Socotra Governorate.
The Minister and his accompanying team were briefed during the visit on Dam Al Akhawain Factory for Dates Packaging, which was the first factory in the archipelago that packages local products, as the production capacity of the machine reached 1200 kg per hour.
The Minister was also briefed on dates storage warehouses, Model Farm 3 and Green House farms, which included various types of vegetables and fruits.
The Minister visited the livestock farm, which includes various types of animals, including apples, cows and goats, during which he was acquainted with the efforts exerted on the farm to raise livestock and work to take care of them.
In a speech by the Minister, he expressed his great thanks to the brothers in the United Arab Emirates for their efforts in various sectors, especially their support for the agricultural sector to supply the local market with various agricultural products throughout the seasons.
He stressed that the concern for livestock was part of the interest of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries, and that we are pleased with our visit to the dates factory and to all the farms, which were an essential tributary for preserving livestock and agricultural wealth.
He said that we in the ministry thanked the brothers in the UAE for their interest in encouraging the Socotri community to turn to agriculture and establish farms to raise camels and various livestock and to grow local products.
Raed Al-Juraibi, Senior Undersecretary of Socotra Governorate, indicated that he was happy to accompany the Minister of Socotra on his inspection tour of the farms established by the Khalifa Humanitarian Foundation and to learn about the quantities produced from the nurseries and their role in meeting the needs of the local market.
Expressing his thanks to the people in charge of the Khalifa Foundation for the attention they pay to supporting the agricultural sector.
For his part, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Ahmed Nasser Al-Zamki, valued the efforts made by the Khalifa Foundation to advance the agricultural sector in the archipelago, in addition to its support for various service sectors in the archipelago.
He pointed out that the farms of the Khalifa Foundation were distinguished by modern technology and organized work, as this is a gain for the people of Socotra to cover the needs of Socotra and its affiliated islands of vegetables and fruits.