Throughout the past year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries represented by the Directorate General of Agricultural and Animal Researches has carried out a project for the production of disease free citrus trees.

The project was funded by the Agriculture and Fisheries Fund to produce mother trees that are free of diseases. 

The project attempts to maintain the current citrus types, as well as other feasible types of citrus planted in the Sultanate.

Dr. Abdullah Dawood Al Zadjali, a plant pathology researcher and leading expert on Witches' Broom Disease of Lime (WBDL), said that the project is part of the efforts made by the Ministry to revive the plantation of Omani lime and some feasible citrus after the decline in the number of lime trees in the Sultanate due to fatal diseases, especially Broom Disease.

He added that the project is part of the efforts made to increase the Sultanate's production of lime and other citrus varieties and enhance the export of Omani lemon and lemon-based industries.

The project benefits from the studies made and the consultations with FAO.

The team in charge of the project also reviewed the experiences of other advanced countries in citrus export, such as U.S.A, Brazil, Spain, Italy, India and other countries that face the same or similar problem.

Source: Timesofoman