The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

The recent agricultural development in Hail region: Saudi Arabia

The recent agricultural development in Hail region: Saudi Arabia
The recent agricultural development in Hail region: Saudi Arabia

The agricultural sector in Saudi Arabia has experienced an enormous change over the last ten years. This was a result of the government's plan to achieve self-sufficiency in some stategic agricultural products, particularly wheat and vegetables. To obtain this the government has offered a guaranteed market for domestic wheat at a supported price far above the world market price. This policy has brought an enormous expansion in the cultivated land and some far-reaching changes in cropping patterns and agricultural structure. This thesis attempts to examine the recently evolving farm structure in one of these developing areas, the Hail Region of north-central Saudi Arabia. After analysing the main physical, human, and economic factors influencing agricultural development in the whole of Hail, the thesis focuses on the sedimentary eastern part of the region in which nearly all the recent agricultural development has taken place. The study is based on a primary survey in which over 2000 modern farms were mapped and their characteristics were recorded, and on a more detailed survey of ten per cent of these farms in which a questionnaire was used. The thesis has provided a detailed examination of the structure and cropping patterns of these farms, including their sizes, irrigation systems, types of machinery and equipment used, crop and livestock enterprises, and marketing. Despite the many advantages of this rapid development there have been several weaknesses and negative aspects. The study examines the main problems confronting agriculture in Hail Region. These include the over-exploitation of groundwater resources, the emergence of soil salinity, the lack of skill and shortage of labour supply and the inadequate marketing system. Attempted solutions to some of these problems are suggested, and areas for further agricultural development in the region are identified.

University of Southampton
Al-Fawzan, Fawzan Abdulrahman Abdulla
Al-Fawzan, Fawzan Abdulrahman Abdulla

Al-Fawzan, Fawzan Abdulrahman Abdulla (1989) The recent agricultural development in Hail region: Saudi Arabia. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

The agricultural sector in Saudi Arabia has experienced an enormous change over the last ten years. This was a result of the government's plan to achieve self-sufficiency in some stategic agricultural products, particularly wheat and vegetables. To obtain this the government has offered a guaranteed market for domestic wheat at a supported price far above the world market price. This policy has brought an enormous expansion in the cultivated land and some far-reaching changes in cropping patterns and agricultural structure. This thesis attempts to examine the recently evolving farm structure in one of these developing areas, the Hail Region of north-central Saudi Arabia. After analysing the main physical, human, and economic factors influencing agricultural development in the whole of Hail, the thesis focuses on the sedimentary eastern part of the region in which nearly all the recent agricultural development has taken place. The study is based on a primary survey in which over 2000 modern farms were mapped and their characteristics were recorded, and on a more detailed survey of ten per cent of these farms in which a questionnaire was used. The thesis has provided a detailed examination of the structure and cropping patterns of these farms, including their sizes, irrigation systems, types of machinery and equipment used, crop and livestock enterprises, and marketing. Despite the many advantages of this rapid development there have been several weaknesses and negative aspects. The study examines the main problems confronting agriculture in Hail Region. These include the over-exploitation of groundwater resources, the emergence of soil salinity, the lack of skill and shortage of labour supply and the inadequate marketing system. Attempted solutions to some of these problems are suggested, and areas for further agricultural development in the region are identified.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 1989

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 461597
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/461597
PURE UUID: 580f554e-cde3-41e8-a73d-62f422231565

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 18:50
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 18:50

Export record

Contributors

Author: Fawzan Abdulrahman Abdulla Al-Fawzan

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×