Manama, July 28 (BNA) The Secretary-General of the National Initiative for Agricultural Development Sheikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa inaugurated the third edition of the “Khairat Al Nakhla” cultural and heritage festival.
The CEO of the Bahrain Development Bank, Dalal Al-Qais, and the Assistant Undersecretary for Agriculture and Marine Resources, Dr. Abdul-Aziz Muhammad Abdul-Karim, attend the opening of the festival, which was organized by Nyad in cooperation with the Farmers Market Department of the Bahrain Development Bank Group and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture.
The festival aims to encourage and support the local production of all palm products to preserve the agricultural identity.
And it continues until July 30 at the permanent Bahraini farmers market in Hoora A’ali, with the participation of many farmers, agricultural companies, artisans and producing families.
During the opening, Sheikha Maram stressed the “great importance of the Palm Festival, which in its third edition has proven its increasing importance as an important aspect of Bahrain’s heritage and its link to Bahrain’s agricultural identity rooted in history.”
“Niad is keen to organize this festival on an ongoing basis because it contributes to the consolidation of the historical position of the palm and the preservation of the ancient cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Bahrain,” she said.
In this regard, she emphasized the unlimited support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the generous directives of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, His Majesty the King, and Chairman of the Nyad Advisory Council to support the palm sector. Because of its close association with the heritage and culture of Bahraini society.
“His Royal Highness has regularly emphasized the need to ensure the constant interest and care of palm trees as they hold a special place in the heart and conscience of every Bahraini.”
Sheikha Maram expressed her deep appreciation to the Bahrain Development Bank Group and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture for their fruitful cooperation in organizing and making the National Festival a success.
“We all look forward to consolidating this fruitful cooperation in the coming years, God willing.”
The Palm Tree Festival is held within the agricultural activities that NIAD is keen to organize regularly in appreciation of the agricultural and historical identity of Bahrain.
The festival establishes a commercial platform that contributes to encouraging and supporting local production and provides an ideal opportunity to exchange experiences that will positively reflect on the economy and contribute to strengthening the food diversification system.
This comes at the core of the objectives set by Nyad as part of its commitment to promoting the sustainability of the palm plantation sector, increasing local production of dates, and developing local industries based on palm origins. In addition, the festival has the potential to stimulate competition among farmers and encourage investment to increase local production.
The festival included patriotic and patriotic songs presented by the military band of the Ministry of Interior, in addition to various performances by farmers, agricultural companies and producing families, focusing on foods made from dates such as date jam, date ice cream and flavored milk. With dates in addition to different types of dates.
Al-Qais said: “The third Khairat Al-Nakhla Festival reflects the great interest and joint efforts between the Bank, NIAD and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture to support and develop the agricultural sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
It is held within the framework of a variety of initiatives aimed at supporting various national agricultural products. Such events and programs represent a great opportunity to learn about the needs of the agricultural sector and opportunities to provide support, whether through the farmers’ market or through other services provided by the Bank to this vital sector.”
Dr. Abdul Karim stressed the ministry’s keenness to pay great attention to the agricultural sector in general and the palm sector in particular, in implementation of the high directives of His Majesty King Hamad, and the generous directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince. The Emir, the Prime Minister, and the follow-up by Minister Wael bin Nasser Al-Mubarak.
He said: “The ministry seeks to work on developing and protecting the palm sector, and our participation today in the event aims to spread awareness of palm varieties through a presentation of the types of dates.”
It also seeks to present the tools that are used in the care of palm trees such as sickles and grains made by Bahrainis, in addition to examples of pests that may infect palms and how to identify and deal with infection. This profession is inherited from parents and grandparents.
The Kingdom maintains a genetic diversity of date palm cultivars, which requires the ministry to strive to preserve it through partnership with farmers, and to work on nurturing and developing the date palm sector, as the palm sector was a local component in the region. He added that the land of Bahrain is 6,000 years old.