PAAFR Comments on Al-Fraih's Agricultural Production Study

In response to Muhammad Al-Fraih's study on tomato production (17 tons)—published in *Al-Qabas* issue No. 4921 on 1/23/19861/23, the General Authority for Agriculture and Livestock Affairs clarified that the study relied on data from the years 1977 through 1980 and that these years were followed by significant advances in production methods and incentives, as well as increased state support, which was reflected in the establishment of the General Authority for Agriculture and Livestock Affairs. The Authority also adopted numerous measures and policies that helped agricultural production make significant leaps forward. The Authority believes that projections based on the aforementioned years no longer reflect the current reality. The clarification adds that the data cited in the Five-Year Development Plan document issued by the Ministry of Planning —General Administration of Planning Affairs in March 1985—were prepared in 1983/84 based on data from 1981/82. It should be noted that an agreement was recently reached with the Ministry of Planning to amend the data on crop production in accordance with the current reality available to the Authority. Although the study’s data matches that of the aforementioned plan, current reality indicates increases in area and productivity greater than those stated. For example, the cultivated area for the 1983/84 season reached 30,000 dunams. The area planted with tomatoes reached 6,000 dunams. The area planted with cucumbers reached 500 dunams, while the area planted with lettuce reached 140 dunams. This was followed by an increase in production, which reached the following figures in the same year: Tomato production: 17 tons – Cucumber production: 2,500 tons – Lettuce production: 418 tons. As for the area cultivated under protected cultivation, it reached approximately 1,342 dunams in the 1984/85 season and is expected to reach approximately 3,000 dunams by 1990. The Authority also took issue with Mr. Muhammad Al-Fraih for failing to cite his source for the consumption rates of the vegetables under study.