Hugh Harries - Tropical Tree Crops Agronomist
DATE PALM
ENGLAND 1997 Trees as Crops. Tropical Agriculture Association, Oxford
Date palm and frankincense in Somalia: rehabilitation of production & marketing in the coastal area of the Bari region
Objectives/Output
The main purpose of the Consultancy was to produce recommendations for the development of date palm and frankincense cultivation to be further implemented by the INGOs and their Somali partners working in the oasis agriculture of the Bari region.
The Appraisal mission to the Bari Region produced the following outputs:
- Indication and assessment of the area (ha) of existing date palm plantations in the Bari region at present, and future potential
- Assessment of the interest of entrepreneurs, local communities and private companies in the region to invest in the production of date palms on a commercial basis
- Assessment and general survey of the availability of genetic material for date palm propagation (e.g. tissue culture) at experimental research centres in neighbouring countries with similar agro-ecological conditions
- Assessment of the present markets for frankincense production (ha, tons) and trade and potential growth for the future
- Assessment of necessary technical and economical interventions and assistance needed to realise expansion of the markets for dates and frankincense
Development of packages of micro projects for date and frankincense production in which international NGOs and Somali institutions will be involved and that will be operational with credit schemes or other funding sources of the monetisation programme.
After the visit to Somalia the availability on tissue culture propagated planting material was investigated at laboratories in United Arab Emirates, Oman and United Kingdom.
Janssen, R. & Harries, H.C. (1997) Date palm and frankincense in Somalia: rehabilitation of production & marketing in the coastal area of the Bari region. SAWA Projects & Consultancy report, recommendations and project proposals submitted to the EC Somalia Unit, Nairobi, Kenya.
Opportunities for tissue culture of date palm and other traditional crops in the Sultanate of Oman
Terms of Reference
1. Review present resources - facilities, staff and expertise - in tissue culture techniques.
2. Discuss future requirements for both date palms and other local crops over the next five years.
3. Make recommendations on the:
(a) suitability of domestic crops for propagation by tissue culture
(b) suitable methods for tissue culture
(c) comparative advantages of tissue culture over other methods of propagation
(d) siting of the tissue culture laboratory
(e) staffing requirements over the next five years
(f) specifications of buildings, equipment and their estimated costs.
4. Write and agree a summary report with the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries prior to departure from Oman.
Harries, H.C. (1989) Opportunities for tissue culture of date palm and other traditional crops in the Sultanate of Oman. ODA (consultancy report).
Prospects for date palm production in the Republic of Djibouti
Terms of Reference
1. To review the current status of, and prospects for, commercial date production in Djibouti.
2. To recommend:
(a) whether there is scope for establishing or expanding date cultivation under prevailing physical and climatological conditions;
(b) if so, what changes to existing techniques and practices are likely to be required; and
(c) what specific actions might be taken (details of inputs and costs should be provided) to give effect to such changes.
3. The report may be used as a basis for funding application to another donor agency.
4. To write and agree a summary report with the Ministry of Agriculture prior to departure from Djibouti.
Harries, H.C. (1989) Prospects for date production in the Republic of Djibouti. ODA (consultancy report).
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