MUSCAT: Oman Food Investment Holding (Nitaj), the food sector development arm of Oman Investment Authority (OIA), says it has begun to procure agricultural and farm resources directly from Omani producers through contract farming – an initiative that is also imperative to ensuring the sustainability of the country’s food sector.
State-owned Nitaj, the biggest investor in Oman’s agro-food industry, revealed in a blog post that its contractual engagements with Oman’s agricultural and farming sector now encompass crop cultivation, livestock farming, and dairy production, among other activities.
“Nitaj has invested in contract farming with a number of local farmers to obtain crops such as Omani wheat, date palms and livestock breeding. (This would contribute to) the emergence of quality products and innovative products such as ‘Watani’ milk, which is the first camel milk brand of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman. (It is an example of the) tangible successes achieved in facilitating cooperation between stakeholders from various parties to meet food demands in the region in general.” The article underlined Nitaj’s commitment to innovation and sustainability as pillars of its business and growth strategy, noting in particular its broadening engagement with the Omani farming community in meeting its objectives.
“In order to grow socially and achieve social sustainability, we must pay attention to the contributions of local farmers, who constitute a large part of food producers as a result of the abundant crops that come from their farms,” said Nitaj in its post.
“We must ensure that innovative agricultural technologies are in the interest of these farmers, starting with financial support and investment in their products, training them on sustainable agricultural practices and resource management, and supporting them through methods such as contract farming.” Adopted increasingly by major corporations and government agencies operating in the food sector, contract farming not only benefits local growers, but also helps them enhance their product quality, monitor crop health, and promote their produce in local markets, according to Nitaj.
It cited in particular the potential for ‘vertical farming’ technologies to bolster food production cost-competitively and efficient. Vertical farming, it explained, enables agricultural crops to be grown in small spaces stacked on top of each other in a closed environment.
“This technology uses shelves installed vertically, which leads to an increase in crop production despite the limited space, thereby reducing energy, soil, and water consumption by 70%,” it said.
In its post, Nitaj also challenged the farming sector to come up with a ‘precision agriculture technology’ that can help farmers manage agricultural resources by harnessing precise data about their activities. Based on such insights, growers can work on improving soil quality, increasing productivity and ensuring effective resource management.
Data inputs vital for the success of this technology can be collected via the deployment of remote sensing systems, drones, robots, automation, and others, thereby helping the food sector meet rising demand growth at improved economic costs, it added.
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