Saudi Arabia produces 1/6 of total world's dates
Saudi Arabia is among the top three global producers of dates – and production is steadily on the rise in the kingdom. The world’s annual date harvest is estimated at more than 6 million tonnes by the Food and Agriculture Organization. The kingdom produced in excess of 1.1 million tonnes of dates in 2014 and has over 25 million palm trees, the then-deputy agriculture minister, Khalid Al Fehaid, stated. Egypt produces the most with a 19 per cent global share and about 1.5 million tonnes. Iran and Saudi Arabia each have about 14 per cent of the overall market.
Productive date palms cover 157,000 hectares of national land and Saudi Arabia grows over 300 types of dates. Not only do date palms hold a prominent position in the Saudi emblem or coat of arms, the tree and its fruit both hold a distinct honour in the tradition, culture – and economy of the country.
The fruit remains high in demand at home, however, and only about 6.8 per cent of date production is marketed externally according to 2013 figures.
And the UAE is the main export market for Saudi dates – importing about 61 per cent.
source: thenational.ae
