MAKKAH: As the Kingdom advances to diversify agricultural production and strengthen food security, success stories are emerging from farmers who have embraced unconventional ideas and harnessed the local environment to introduce new crops to the Saudi market.
Among them is farmer Radhi Al-Sharari, who has cultivated pistachios in Jouf after being driven by an ambitious vision and a determination to overcome challenges.
Al-Sharari told Arab News that the idea of growing pistachios first came to him in 2017. He stressed that his primary motivation was an ambition to introduce a new crop to Jouf, leveraging the region’s distinctive agricultural conditions that are well suited to a diverse variety of crops.
He said that he chose a crop that would meet local market demand and create added value to the region. One of the biggest challenges he faced at the start of his project was sourcing pistachio seeds and seedlings.
He said the variety that had proved successful was Pistacia vera, which adapted well to Jouf’s climate and soil.
