Qatar- Festival opens to promote Sidra tree
Date
2/11/2016 9:54:19 PM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Visitors at the ‘Rhamnus’ festival at Mazrouah Yard in Umm Salal yesterday.
Pic: Baher / The Peninsula
Doha: Mazrouah Yard the winter vegetable market in Umm Salal yesterday launched the “Rhamnus” festival to promote cultivation of the native Sidra tree.
‘Rhamnus’ refers to the fruit of Sidra locally known as ‘kanar’. The two-day festival is organised by the Department of Agriculture at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment. It aims to introduce various types of kanars to the public and provide training to farmers on how to graft different types of the plant a senior official from the ministry said yesterday.
The Sidra tree and its fruit are the iconic symbol of the country’s heritage said Yusef Khalid Al Khulaifi Director of the department.
It is related to the Qatari culture and has grown in the deserts of Qatar for generations; therefore municipalities are keen to plant and use it to decorate streets he added. In addition to its fruits shade and shelter the tree is also used by farmers as windbreaks to fight desertification.
The fruits flowers and leaves of the Sidra tree are rich with nutritional values and used to make traditional medicines.
Al Khulaifi pointed out that several events organised by the department in the agriculture product yards in Al Mazroua Al Wakrah and Al Khor-Azakhera to promote different types of local agricultural produce have achieved significant success.
He said the department plans to organise other events to promote strawberry aquaculture and society health in collaboration with some schools.
The Peninsula