PRIOR to the 1932 unification of the Kingdom, farming was the main occupation and major source of income for the majority of Saudis with only a handful of people engaging in commercial activities. Farmers used primitive tools and equipment for irrigation and harvesting purposes and due to the harsh desert climate, most farming was limited to palms trees and a select few seeds and vegetables. After unification, however, people began to lose interest in farming and sought government jobs as they offered a steady and reliable source of income. Alarmed at the declining number of farmers, the government set up the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF), which offered farmers interest-free loans with extended grace periods of up to ten years. The fund also offered generous agriculture equipment purchase plans that slashed prices of equipment by 50 percent. Following the introduction of such initiatives, many Saudis who had given up farming began to return to the profession to take advantage of new lucrative opportunities.
Modern farming In the old days, farms were typically located close to the homes of farmers in villages and farming used to be a difficult and strenuous job. Farmers had to retrieve water from wells one bucket at a time to irrigate their crops manually though some farmers used camels for this task. By the end of the day, a farmer would go home exhausted due to the physically taxing nature of the job. When Blackstone & Co., a now defunct British farm implement maker, was first introduced in the Kingdom, it was a game changer as farmers could irrigate their lands quickly and they no longer had to rely on camels, saving them considerable time. Shortly after, the plow was introduced to cultivate soil and there was no need to use oxen for this purpose. Afterwards, modern well-digging machines were introduced which helped farmers dig up artesian wells as deep as 100 meters. Finally, farming had become an easy job and many farmers decided to invest their money it, thanks to the government support. ADF The ADF was established 1962 to finance farmers all over the country and increase productivity of the farming sector with a capital of SR10,838,621,000. All those interested in keeping cows, poultry, sheep, bees, and fish were provided with myriad facilities in terms of financing. Plows, harvesting machines, well-digging machines, insecticides, fertilizers, etc. were all sold for cheap prices to encourage Saudis to take up farming. The government's plan was successful and the number of farms in the Kingdom increased substantially.
Greenhouses Greenhouses helped revive farming as a tradition because, compared to traditional methods, they increased yield ten-fold. Farmers began to grow large quantities of vegetables and an increasing number started focusing on growing wheat and barley. Wheat, vegetable, fodder and date production increased and the country achieved self-sufficiency. Wheat in particular was produced in copious quantities, thanks to generous government subsidies, and the surplus quantities were stored in giant silos and some were given as aid to other countries.
Wheat production halted In recent years, the government decided to halt wheat production by 2016 due to the depletion of groundwater reserves as the wheat crop consumes large quantities of water. Its production has been reduced gradually every year and it will reach 12.5 percent by 2016, making the Kingdom one of the major wheat importers around the world. After the government halted subsidies to farmers growing water intensive crops, many farmers have given up on farming because profits decreased drastically. But while government subsidies for wheat and rice were stopped, those for corn, millet, sesame and dates were increased. One of the conditions attached with such subsidies is that farmers should adopt modern irrigation methods to stop the depletion of groundwater reserves, which is an important natural resource.
The future: Olives and other crops Growing olives in the country's north has proved to be successful and many farmers have turned to growing olives, a staple of the Middle Eastern diet. In other regions, farmers are focusing on sesame, mango, citrus, watermelon and cucumber plants. Today, every region in the country is famous for a certain crop, giving hope that farmers will adopt sustainable agriculture practices that conserve natural resources.
