Dr. Al-Sheikh said, in a statement to SUNA, that the project dispatched two experts to Panama to learn the experience of exporting to Europe in general and to starting with the Netherlands, indicating that the test targeted 30 agronomists, agricultural technicians and skillful labour to prepare the export experience by choosing good plant until harvest and after the harvest.
Dr. Al-Sheikh added that 1028 clusters of age-close bananas were selected to be harvested at the end of last July, expecting output to reach more than half a ton of banana at a rate of 324 cartons for export at 20-kilo per each.
He pointed out to the importance of learning technology and quality, particularly with regard to the cold storage for bananas to arrive at destination in good condition in more than 36 days. He stressed that the success of the experiment will open the door of contracts with European companies.
Dr. Al-Sheikh revealed that Singa enjoyed a comparative advantage for the cultivation of varieties valid for export-oriented bananas and the possibility of expansion in the Nile forest areas, estimated at 600,000 acres, which are lands suitable for agriculture.
