Agriculture in Kuwait: A New Vision by Mohammad Al-Furaih

A new book titled “Agriculture in Kuwait: A New Vision” has been published, shedding light on the history of agriculture in Kuwait from the perspective of a “new vision.” The book serves as a “roadmap” for anyone interested in agriculture who is committed to its development and to achieving true food security. The book was authored by agricultural expert Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Fraih, who has held several positions, including membership on the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Poultry Breeders Association, in addition to numerous achievements in which Al-Fraih has excelled in his field.n\nThe book is distinguished by the fact that it encapsulates Al-Fraih’s experience and career across eight chapters, featuring a selection of letters and reports he wrote to Kuwait’s agricultural authorities over the past fifty years. The book also addresses agricultural topics such as strategies for developing agriculture in Kuwait, poultry and its production, feed and fertilizers, as well as agricultural plots, food safety, and others. The People of Agriculture... The Awaazim and Those Coming from Najd Al-Fraih provided an introduction to the history of agriculture in Kuwait, stating that “the history of agriculture in Kuwait dates back to long before the discovery of oil, when farming was limited to specific areas such as Al-Jahra, Al-Fintas, Al-Fahaheel, Al-Funaitees, and other regions. At that time, those engaged in agriculture were mostly migrants from Najd to Kuwait, and some were from the Al-Awazim, one of the tribes in Kuwait.” He added that “Agriculture took place on specific plots of land when water was available from rain or extracted from wells. These small farms were surrounded by windbreaks, either made of tree branches and reeds or acacia trees, to protect the crops from sandstorms and strong winds. The water source for these farms was the Qalban wells.”\n\nHe noted that “vegetable farming was considered one of the main crops; the following were grown: tomatoes, onions, garlic, legumes, radishes, (ruwied), carrots, yellow melons (shammam), green melons (raqi), cucumbers (tarouh), green squash, peppers, lettuce, eggplant, fava beans (foul), and purslane (barber).”\n\nHe referred to the agricultural areas of the past, saying, “In the past, farms were widespread in the coastal villages of Al-Adan (Al-Qusur) in Al-Fahaheel, Al-Shu’aybah, Abu Halifa, Al-Fintas, and Al-Mangaf, as well as in the village of Al-Jahra and Failaka Island, and in other areas cultivated by the inhabitants of the Kuwaiti desert in Sabahiya, Umm al-Hayman, al-Arfajiya, and elsewhere, in addition to other areas near Kuwait City that the city’s residents used to cultivate in Hawalli, Dasma, al-Shamiya, and al-Adiliya, which were among the well-known water sources in Kuwait in the past.”\n\nIrrigating the crops... Primitive and dangerous wells\nAl-Farih referred to “wells and irrigation,” saying, “As I mentioned earlier, Kuwaitis used surface well water for agriculture, so they dug those wells using primitive methods, and digging them was very arduous since they did not have the drilling tools available today. The drilling process in the past was fraught with dangers such as collapses caused by the fragile sandy soil, where the wells would sometimes collapse on them during drilling—a phenomenon known as ‘the well collapsed’—leading to their deaths.”\n\nHe noted that “some of these wells, as I mentioned earlier, had water suitable for agriculture when they were first dug, but with frequent use, the water became salty and unsuitable for agriculture. In the past, Kuwaitis used primitive irrigation methods, including the qurb, the shaduf, and the farashiya, which were later replaced by fuel- and electricity-powered well-pumping machines.”\n\nThe Poultry Industry... Shortcomings in disease protection\nRegarding the poultry industry, Al-Fraih stated, “In the 1970s, I called for the construction of silos for corn and grains to facilitate a steady supply of feed and maintain a strategic feed reserve, and on more than one occasion I called for the establishment of soybean meal storage facilities, which constitute 30 percent of the feed for cows, poultry, and livestock. This is necessary because it allows Kuwait to import directly from producing countries rather than in bags or containers, as is currently the practice. It also enables bulk purchases from producing countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, the United States, and India, which would provide significant support to poultry and livestock producers in Kuwait.”\n\nHe noted that “in 2007, Kuwait was struck by avian influenza, forcing the Agriculture Authority to cull 80 percent of the laying and broiler chickens on infected farms in the Wafra and Abdali areas. At that time, the Shagaya area remained free of the epidemic thanks to the quarantine policy, its remote location, and special precautions for biosecurity and sterilization. Following that disaster, I proposed to the then-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Agriculture Authority, Jassim Habib Al-Badr, and his deputy, Faisal Al-Siddiqi, that they visit the Netherlands to learn about the measures taken there to protect production from the avian influenza epidemic. Indeed, I arranged a complimentary visit for them to the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, which in turn prepared a comprehensive program covering laboratory visits, prevention methods, and control systems; however, unfortunately, the Authority took no steps to implement the Dutch system.”\n\nHe added, “Finally, specifically in 2020, the same epidemic returned to strike Kuwaiti poultry farms. While local producers suffered losses from the 2007 epidemic, the current state budget does not allow for compensation, meaning producers must bear the full cost of their losses. The pressing question here is: Why were comprehensive precautions not put in place to prevent the spread of this epidemic by following the Dutch system—monitoring, protection, and implementing a training program for poultry workers, as well as employing biological control measures to prevent the spread of diseases? We all know the saying: ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’”\n\nFeed... A major challenge for farmers\nThe book includes an article by Al-Fraih on “Supporting Soybeans,” stating that “Soybeans are an important source of animal feed protein. To obtain their oil, which is beneficial to humans, they are pressed, and the remainder is soybean meal, which is used as a primary source of protein in poultry and livestock feed and constitutes 25–30 percent of the feed mix.”\n\nAl-Fraih explained that “every poultry producer—whether raising broilers, layers, or large livestock—currently imports soybean meal individually, with shipments arriving in small and large bags, as well as in full containers,” noting that “these methods expose the importer to product fraud and non-compliance with specifications, in addition to being expensive and costly,” and called on the milling company to add the import of guaranteed soybean meal and to set up special, inexpensive, and easy-to-install storage facilities for it in the production areas (Al-Abdali, Al-Wafra, Al-Salmi), to be distributed to farmers at cost price in support of the poultry and livestock industry in Kuwait.\n\nHe emphasized “the importance of distributing new licenses for broiler chicken farming in the Shagaya area as soon as possible, so that Kuwait can increase its chicken meat production from 30 to 70 percent in the near future, provided that the permits are distributed to Kuwaiti companies and those capable of building or establishing an agricultural project for poultry farming on the granted plot, which is 50,000 square meters in area, with a production capacity of 10 million birds annually.”\n\nFertilizers... Important Tips\nAl-Farih presented a letter he had addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs in 2008, in his capacity as a board member, regarding global prices for chemical fertilizers and agricultural materials. He noted that the prices of basic chemical fertilizer materials had risen approximately threefold from the 2006 season to the 2008 season, with the price of a 25-kilogram bag of fertilizer reaching approximately 18 dinars in 2008, compared to around 6 dinars in 2006. Prices for agricultural seeds also rose by 15–30 percent. He recommended investigating this sudden price surge and preparing appropriate recommendations to preserve plant resources.\n\nRegarding fertilizer, Al-Fraih offered advice to farmers on determining the appropriate fertilizer for their farms, including: “Check the weight of the bag to ensure it matches the actual weight and the weight stated on the bag at the point of origin. The bag must also be genuine and not refilled, and the packaging must have been inspected and approved by official state authorities.”\\n\nAl-Fraih continued his advice, saying, “Some bags are labeled with the major nutrient ratios—nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—as well as micronutrients, but farmers must verify the types and sources of these elements to ensure the best quality,” noting that “Every high-quality nitrogen fertilizer must consist of multiple elements; for example, 18-18-18 fertilizer—the farmer’s preferred choice—contains all the key essential elements.”\n\nAgricultural Marketing… A Plan to Promote Local Products\In the chapter “Agricultural Marketing,” Al-Fraih presented an official report addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs in 2006, in which he made recommendations regarding the local marketing of local products, proposing that each farmer or marketer be allocated one of the 148 stalls, Additionally, 118 stalls would be allocated for the sale of local produce and 30 for imported produce.\n\nIn another report from 2007, regarding the establishment of an independent food safety authority, Al-Fraih explained the importance of food for human health and noted that in European countries and elsewhere, the food safety system is managed by a single entity: the Food Safety Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture, which oversees all stages of food production and human consumption.\n\nAl-Fraih compared the situation to that in Kuwait “at the time,” where the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries was responsible for the health of livestock and poultry and for supplying farms with medicines and vaccines, but was not responsible for the products themselves, such as milk, eggs, or slaughtered poultry, Similarly, the Ministry of Health is responsible for issuing health licenses to food workers and conducting laboratory testing, but its role is essentially limited to inspecting foodstuffs upon their arrival in Kuwait; there is no actual monitoring or testing during transportation, storage, or distribution.n\nAl-Fraih called for a comprehensive study in collaboration with one of the developed countries in the field of food safety, such as Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and others, provided that the study includes a complete survey of all possibilities—including laws, laboratories, and testing methods—for all types of food, food workers, farms, and factories, with the Food Safety Authority having a central laboratory capable of conducting all tests as quickly as possible.n\nOil and Agriculture\nAl-Fraih highlighted the stages of agricultural development, noting that the discovery of oil led to a boom in all sectors in the State of Kuwait, including agriculture. Agriculture went through periods of neglect following the discovery of oil, during the 1950s, agriculture was limited to the government sector and focused solely on landscaping and afforestation to meet the needs of schools, public facilities, parks, and streets. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, interest in productive agriculture gradually began to grow, and the private sector started establishing farms in Al-Wafra and Al-Abdali.\n\nImports from Australia\nIn one of the book’s chapters, Al-Fraih discusses his visit to Australia as a member of the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Agriculture in 2008. Al-Fraih submitted a report on the visit along with proposed recommendations regarding plant and animal resources, fisheries, and ornamental agriculture, noting that “Western Australia considers Kuwait one of the most important importers of wheat, barley, sheep, and certain vegetables, and the value of Kuwait’s purchases from Western Australia exceeds $110 million.”\n\nHe also recommended that the “Agricultural Authority,” in cooperation with the South Australian Research and Development Institute, conduct joint research and experiments on producing varieties of alfalfa resistant to saline and highly acidic soils that are suitable for Kuwait’s environment.\n\nAchievements of “Burgan” Agricultural\nAl-Fraih listed the achievements of Burgan Agricultural Company, including the construction of the first and largest greenhouse in 1982, covering an area of 20,000 square meters and producing 700 tons of vegetables per year. Other achievements included Burgan Agricultural being the first to add two insulated doors for entering the greenhouse, with one door located next to the fan line. It was also the first to market fast-dissolving fertilizer and remains the only company with experimental centers in Al-Wafra and Al-Abdali for testing seeds and seedlings before releasing them to the Kuwaiti market.n\nVarious Tips\nThe book includes various agricultural articles by Al-Fraih, which called on car owners to wash their cars using water from a bucket rather than a hose, to conserve Kuwait’s expensive desalinated freshwater. In an article titled “Converting Agricultural Plots into Parks and Rest Areas Poses a Threat to Food Security,” he called for supporting Kuwaiti farmers so they do not abandon agricultural production.