The snow has cleared and the weather has warmed up, and our project has moved into an exciting phase in its development. We are currently distributing planting material in the northern and central regions of the country. The aim is to establish around 700 hectares of new almond, apricot, pomegranate and grape plantings. The average size of each new planting is less than 1 jerib (5 jeribs equals 1 hectare), so it means the project is supporting at least 3,000 farming households. However, even such a small new orchard can change the future capacity of each farm to become sustainable.
I visited several nurseries this past week to check on the quality of the planting material we are distributing, and it is generally excellent. The photo shows almond and apricot saplings ready to be dug up and transported to farmers.
The project also has a network of more than 150 field staff who are working with the farmers to ensure new plantings survive and thrive!
I visited several nurseries this past week to check on the quality of the planting material we are distributing, and it is generally excellent. The photo shows almond and apricot saplings ready to be dug up and transported to farmers.
The project also has a network of more than 150 field staff who are working with the farmers to ensure new plantings survive and thrive!
I and a number of international experts will visit many of these farmers in the coming months to pass on modern growing techniques and ideas. The mixing of traditional farming systems and modern techniques will be one of the challenges we face.
