Bahrain: 3rd edition of Palm Tree festival inaugurated
The Secretary-General of the National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, inaugurated the third edition of the cultural and heritage festival “Khairat Al Nakhla” (Palm Tree Bounties).
The festival aims to encourage and support local production of all palm products to preserve the agricultural identity. It will run until July 30 at the permanent Bahraini farmers market in Hawrat A’ali, with the participation of many farmers, agricultural companies, artisans and productive families.
Shaikha Maram stressed, during the opening, “the great importance of the Palm Tree Festival, which in its third edition has proven its growing significance as an important aspect of Bahrain’s heritage and how closely connected it is to Bahrain’s agricultural identity rooted in the depths of history.”
The Palm Tree Festival is held within the agricultural activities that NIAD is keen to organize regularly in proud recognition of Bahrain’s agricultural and historical identity. The festival sets up a commercial platform that contributes to encouraging and supporting local production and offers an ideal opportunity to exchange experiences, which will reflect positively on the economy and contribute to strengthening the food diversity system.
This is at the core of the objectives set by NIAD within its commitment to enhancing the sustainability of the palm cultivation sector, increasing the local production of dates, and developing local industries based on the palm’s assets. In addition, the festival has the power to stimulate competition among farmers and to encourage investment to increase local production.
The festival featured national and patriotic songs performed by the Ministry of Interior military band as well as various exhibits by farmers, agricultural companies and productive families, with a focus on foods made from dates, such as date jam, date ice cream, and milk flavored with dates, in addition to the various types of dates.
