Scientists in Oman working to ensure global food security

Energy Monday 05/March/2018 12:16 PM
By: Times News Service
Scientists in Oman working to ensure global food security

Muscat: A project run by scientists at Sohar University and University of Sheffield in the UK has received $500,000 to work on a food security project, according to The Research Council.
"The Sultanate has received funding of $0.5 million to work on a food security project by developing and introducing an innovative way of agricultural expansion.
"The project which is being developed by scientists at Sohar University and Sheffield University aims to reduce the use of clean water by a large percentage," TRC said, at a a seminar on Scientific Cooperation of the Gulf States and the United Kingdom in Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Food Safety organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Dr. Rahmah Mahroqiya, vice president of the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at SQU said: "The seminar comes at a time of increasing challenges to secure food amid the explosion of the population around the world."
The seminar comes after the UK government announced last year the establishment of a $3.4 million grant to fund eight new research projects in six Gulf states.
"The project includes the construction of a 150-square-metre dome at the University of Sohar as an agricultural greenhouse, and is currently under construction to be the center of all planned tests," TRC said.
Scientists at the University of Sheffield are working on developing solutions to activate industrial soil use in a protected environment that suits Oman's climate.