By NNN-KUNA,
Manama : Harsh weather conditions, lack of irrigation resources, and poor soil are some of the numerous obstacles facing agricultural development in the GCC region, stated an agricultural expert.
Desert science and wasteland expert Dr Assad Al-Ajmi said in a forum on GCC agriculture that the performance of agriculture as a productive force in the region was very weak, saying that the lack of sources to irrigate crops was also in the way of development for this sector.
With annual evaporation numbers reaching 2,500 sq mm, it was impossible to find surface water resources, said Al-Ajmi who revealed that the region’s annual average of rainfall was between 70 to 130 sq mm.
The official also revealed several statistics showcasing the individual and GCC states’ usage of water resources which were over the normal statistics.
He also shed light on solutions to evade the excessive usage of water, calling for the utilization of modern tools that would help the agricultural sectors in the GCC countries.
The forum was held in celebration of Gulf University’s sillver jubilee.