There was no need for more land to be set aside for farming because the Kingdom currently uses only one million of an estimated four million hectares available, said Dr. Fahd Bin Abdul Rahman Balghunaim, the Minister of Agriculture. He added that it was also necessary to place a halt on land being used for agriculture, because of a lack of water. “We are facing a water crisis which requires conformity to government's programs, plans and projects,” he said. Balghunaim said the state has managed to achieve agricultural sustainability in Al-Ahsa by carrying out a number of important projects. This includes the project for converting the irrigation system to a closed pipe system, building plants for treating water, and setting up programs for the purchase of dates, among other guidance programs. The minister praised farmers in Al-Ahsa on Saturday, who have been honored for their work. He said their initiatives were in line with the ministry's plans, programs and projects. The priority of the ministry is to continue developing the agricultural sector, safeguard water resources and to lay down programs and policies that would achieve the ideal exploitation of available resources, he said.
