Market Trends of Oman Fruits and Vegetables Industry
Growing Preference for Organic Produce
The demand for organic food is gaining traction, bolstered by consumers' growing concerns for health and wellness. Demand is strong for fresh fruits and vegetables. Higher disposable incomes have resulted in consumers shifting from a carbohydrate-based staple diet to a nutrition-rich diet. In addition, the growing awareness of health among a larger section of the population, especially millennials, is leading them to move toward organic products. To meet this demand, many organic farms have launched new products. The Masrooq Farm in Ibri, Al Dhahirah Governorate, completely switched to organic cultivation by focusing on organic dates. The sustainable future of agriculture in Oman, therefore, depends very much on adopting land and water-saving technologies such as greenhouses, soilless culture and hydroponics, and soil-based Integrated Production and Protection Management (IPPM).
An emerging key global trend is the increasing production of vegetables in greenhouses and vertical farms. These production technologies help mitigate many limitations on conventional open-field vegetable farming in desert countries such as Oman, where summer temperatures sometimes reach above 45ºC. One such approach is the net house, developed by the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and Arabian Peninsula National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS). It is a fabric, insect-proof net greenhouse structure that enables high-yield vegetable production in desert conditions for 8 to 9 months of the year.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, in cooperation with the authorities concerned, is endeavoring to adopt organic farming through R&D efforts that contribute to promoting organic farming. The global demand for vegetables is increasing and will continue to do so. Growth in demand for organic vegetables is especially strong in wealthier countries such as Switzerland, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates. Thus, the efforts by the government to promote sustainable farming and consumers' growing preference for natural products are expected to drive the demand for organic fruits and vegetables in the country.
Greenhouse Cultivation is Boosting the Vegetables Market
Oman is one of the Arab countries in the southeastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula. The country is primarily dependent on oil and gas to sustain its economy. Oman's economic development policy increasingly emphasizes agricultural and fishery commodities as vital in expanding its non-oil contribution to the gross domestic product. Chief among these commodities are fruit and vegetables. Farming in the desert is a challenge, but with the help of The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in 2020, two Omanis, Hamyar Khamis al Rawahi and Hatim bin Sulaiman bin Hamood al Rawahi, have successfully overcome the odds and produced 180 ton of cucumber per month. They started with 15 greenhouses to produce cucumbers and now have 62, helping them cultivate for almost eight months a year.
Local Omani cucumber is among the most important traditional vegetable crops grown in the Sultanate of Oman. Different names, such as Samail, Bahla, and Nizwa, were given to local types, resulting in about 24 different accessions of local cucumber. The increased consumer demand for cucumber in recent years has resulted in expanding the area under cultivation and introducing new hybrid cultivars. The damping-off disease is Oman's most important biological constraint to greenhouse cucumber production. Average losses of over 6% of seedlings are common, with much higher losses occurring on many farms, especially where crop management practices are poor, thus hindering the production of cucumbers in the country. However, with the increasing focus on boosting crop production, various awareness programs are being conducted on crop management practices, which in turn, is leading to market growth.
