Kuwaiti-Australian Agricultural Talks to Produce Salt-Resistant Clover

Mohammed Al-Fraih, a member of the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs, recommended that the Authority collaborate with the South Australian Research and Development Institute to conduct joint research and experiments on the production of alfalfa varieties resistant to saline and highly acidic soils that are suited to Kuwait’s environment. Upon his return from a fact-finding tour he led as head of a delegation from the Agriculture Authority to Australia, he explained that the delegation reviewed the latest methods used in various agricultural fields, including crops, livestock, and fisheries. He noted that during the visit, they discussed the memorandum of understanding signed between the Agriculture Authority and the Minister of Agriculture of the State of Western Australia (Perth), and ways to activate and benefit from it were explored, particularly in the areas of exchanging information, agricultural expertise, and supplies, in addition to exchanging information on livestock, training technicians and veterinarians, conducting various scientific research and experiments, and developing an integrated training program for the optimal use of water in ornamental agriculture irrigation. He added that the Australian Minister of Agriculture affirmed the ministry’s readiness to cooperate in all areas, noting that the State of Kuwait is one of the most important importers of wheat and barley from Western Australia, with the value of its purchases from there exceeding $110 million. He noted that the delegation also visited several universities and reviewed their capabilities in developing plants suited to hot climates, as well as training technicians and specialists in agricultural fields. He added that they also visited the Arab Chamber of Commerce in Australia and numerous companies specializing in agriculture and related supplies. and conducted visits to several nurseries, fields, and institutes. The delegation was briefed on experiments related to alfalfa cultivation, which included 80 experimental varieties and 10 control varieties. He revealed that seeds are selected from companies participating in the experiments and from the institute’s seed stock. He added that the delegation also visited the Australian government’s seed testing and certification center, which processes approximately 7,000–8,000 seed samples per month.