Under the patronage of H.E President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani and with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Opening of the Third International Festival of Mauritanian Dates 2024 in Tagant State
Organized by Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in cooperation with the Mauritanian Ministry of Agriculture
* Umm Walad Bayat: We confirm our pride in the progress achieved by the festival and look to the future with confidence and optimism
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The festival reflects the spirit of cooperation and solidarity between the two countries to enhance the value of Mauritanian dates.
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Hamad Ghanem Al Muhairi: Mauritanian Dates Festival confirms the depth of fraternal ties between the UAE and Mauritania
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Abdul Wahab Zayed: Effective Arab and international participation represents 09Date producing countries within 62 pavilions
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Tagant(News Desk):: Under the patronage of His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, Deputy Prime Minister, Chief of the Presidential Court, His Excellency Mr. Ammam Ould Bayat, Minister of Agriculture of Mauritania, witnessed the opening of the Third International Festival of Mauritanian Dates on Friday, July 26, 2024, in the city of Tijikja, capital of Tagant State, in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Hamad Ghanem Al Muhairi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in Nouakchott, Dr. Abdel Wahab Zayed, Secretary General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, a number of members of the diplomatic corps in Mauritania, and a large crowd of experts, researchers, specialists and date producers. This festival is organized by the General Secretariat of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in cooperation with the Mauritanian Ministry of Agriculture, and in coordination with a number of regional and international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( FAO ), International Center for Research in the Regions Dry ( ICARDA) International Center for Biosaline Agriculture ( ICBA ) ), Arab Organization for Agricultural Development ( AOAD ) ), Arab Center for Agricultural Research in Arid Areas and Dry Lands ( ACSAD ) ), Association of Agricultural Research Centers in the Middle East and North Africa ( AARINENA ) International Date Palm Development Network ( IDPGN ) ) and the Palm Tree Friends Society in the Emirates ( DPFS ).
In a speech delivered during the opening ceremony hosted by the city of Tijikja in the Mauritanian state of Tagant, which will continue until July 28, His Excellency Mr. Ammam Ould Bayat, the Mauritanian Minister of Agriculture, pointed out the importance of this festival in its third session and the high patronage it received from His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and the support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Head of the Presidential Court, and the Arab and international participation, embodying our tireless efforts to advance agriculture in general and the Mauritanian dates sector in particular by benefiting from the accumulated expertise of the award through a series of successful Arab dates festivals that it organized in a number of countries around the world, which resulted in highlighting the importance of Arab dates and supporting research related to the development of various aspects of date manufacturing and encouraging related innovations, thus increasing demand for Arab dates at the national, regional and international levels.
His Excellency the Mauritanian Minister of Agriculture added that this festival is not just an occasion for entertainment and celebration, but rather a real opportunity to exchange experiences and expertise between experts and specialists in this vital field, and an opportunity to introduce and promote the most important varieties of Mauritanian dates, which contributes effectively to enhancing innovation and sustainable development in date cultivation. Reflecting the spirit of cooperation and solidarity to enhance the value of Mauritanian dates in their various varieties, we are proud of our rich agricultural heritage and always look forward to enhancing innovation in this field. He also thanked the United Arab Emirates for granting 1,000 seedlings of palm trees of the “Majhool” and “Barhi” varieties to small palm farmers in Mauritania. We are proud of the progress we have achieved together in the dates sector, and we look to the future with confidence and optimism, certain that this fruitful cooperation will contribute to raising the level of productivity and improving the quality of our products, to meet the growing demand for dates on a global level.
His Excellency Mr. Hamad Ghanem Al Muhairi, UAE Ambassador to Nouakchott, stressed that this success would not have been possible without the generous patronage of His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, “may God protect them”, for their continuous support for the palm cultivation and date production sector in Mauritania. He added that this festival is one of the success stories of the existing cooperation between the two brotherly countries, through which the wise leadership seeks to strengthen the bonds of cohesion to enhance food security and achieve sustainable development. It also confirms at the same time the international standing achieved by the award and its constructive role in developing palm cultivation and date production and the need to advance this sector .
For his part, Dr. Abdul Wahab Zayed, Secretary General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, stressed that organizing this festival in its third session came to confirm the international status and credibility achieved by the award and its vital role in building international partnerships to develop and advance the palm cultivation and date production sector and advance it at the national, regional and international levels, thanks to the support the award receives from His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and the follow-up of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the award. . The Secretary General of the Award added that this festival comes after the continuous success achieved by the Award in organizing a series of international festivals for dates, starting with the Abu Dhabi Dates Exhibition for ten consecutive sessions, the Egyptian Dates Festival for eight sessions, the Sudanese Dates Festival for five sessions, the Jordanian Dates Festival for six sessions, the Mexican Dates Festival for three sessions, and the Pakistani Dates Festival in its first session, in cooperation with our strategic partners in the relevant ministries in each country.
Dr. Abdul Wahab Zayed, Secretary General of the Award, pointed out the importance of the partnership between the General Secretariat of the Award and the Mauritanian Ministry of Agriculture, in coordination with a number of regional and international organizations, which aims to advance the palm sector and support and activate the date industry in Mauritania. This festival also emphasizes the leading role of the United Arab Emirates in supporting and caring for the date palm sector, and all projects aimed at developing and growing the cultivation, production and marketing of dates.
Honoring the winners of the Mauritanian dates competition
His Excellency Oumam Ould Bebbata, the Mauritanian Minister of Agriculture, along with senior figures, witnessed the honoring of the winners of the third edition of the Mauritanian Dates Competition, in which 150 farmers from various Mauritanian states participated. Each winner received an amount of (70,000) Mauritanian ouguiya, provided equally by the General Secretariat of the Award and the Mauritanian Ministry of Agriculture. The results were as follows:
1- First category: Best association that served the palm and dates sector in Mauritania
The Association for Participatory Management of the Oasis of Troun El Zira (Mr. Sidi El Hadrami Ahmed) won.
2- The second category: The best farmer producing the (Salmadina) variety in Mauritania.
Mr. Mohammed Salem Al Rajel won
3- The third category: The best farmer producing the (Sakani) variety in Mauritania.
Mr. Sayed Ahmed Mohamed Abdullah won
4- The fourth category: The best farmer producing the (red) variety in Mauritania.
Ms. Aslamha Mubarak Ahjour won
5- The fifth category: The best farmer producing the (Mahboula) variety in Mauritania.
Mr. Sidi Mohamed Al-Qastalani won
6- The sixth category: The best farmer producing the (Tantarqal) variety in Mauritania.
Mr. Mustafa Ould Al-Salik won
7- The seventh category: The best heritage product derived from Mauritanian palm trees.
Ms. Sarah Harma won
8- The eighth category: The best palm farm (pen) in Mauritania
Mr. Sidi Mohamed Mohamed Salem won
Given the importance of participation in the (Red Category), the Ministry of Agriculture has also decided to allocate two additional prizes for this category, worth (60,000) new ouguiyas for the first runner-up and (50,000) new ouguiyas for the second runner-up. The winners of these two prizes are:
1- Mr. Al- Bashir Amhiham, second place for the red half.
2- Mr. Sayed Atfail Abi, third place for the red half.
Honoring influential figures
His Excellency the Minister also honored the Personality of the Year 2024 for his influential role in the palm cultivation and date production sector in Mauritania.
1- Professor Mohamed El Mokhtar Ould El Imam (Adrar)
2- Professor Sid Al-Mukhtar Ould Amou (Takant)
3- Professor Shaqar Ould Alayan (for the gang)
After that, His Excellency the Minister and the honorable guests inaugurated the third edition of the Mauritanian Dates Exhibition with the participation of 62 pavilions and 72 exhibitors (69 local exhibitors and 10 international exhibitors) from date farmers, producers and manufacturers representing 09 date producing countries (the United Arab Emirates, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Morocco, the United Mexican States, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Syrian Arab Republic , and the Republic of Sudan).
09 experts from 08 countries participate in the scientific symposium accompanying the festival:
Dr. Abdel Wahab Zayed, Secretary General of the Award, stressed that the scientific symposium accompanying the Third International Festival of Mauritanian Dates is a cornerstone for supporting the palm cultivation and date production sector in Mauritania with scientific research, experiments and practical expertise in accordance with the best national, regional and international practices. This came during the opening of the scientific symposium accompanying the festival, which began its work on Saturday, July 27, 2024, in the city of Tijikja in Tagant State. His Excellency added that the General Secretariat of the Award, within its strategic objectives, is working to support and develop the date palm sector in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania , by organizing the first, second and third editions of the International Festival of Mauritanian Dates, which is organized by the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in cooperation with the Mauritanian Ministry of Agriculture .
The experts and researchers in palm trees and dates participating in the scientific symposium of the festival reviewed four main axes: techniques for combating the red palm weevil, agricultural treatments for date palms, post-harvest treatments, and international trade in date palms , with the participation of 09 experts in palm cultivation and date production from 08 countries : (the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Mexican States, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Syrian Arab Republic, and the Republic of Sudan).