Prickly Pear in AlBaha: Success Led by Initiative
The initiative to cultivate prickly pears in the AlBaha region has been a great success, transforming the cultivation of prickly pears from a profession managed in private farms to the establishment of a specialized city in which scientific research is conducted and food, medical, and cosmetic products are produced.
The mountains, agricultural terraces, valleys, and plains in AlBaha are covered with green, yellow and red prickly pear trees, as a result of the daily rainfall in the region.
The director-general of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture Branch in AlBaha Region, Eng. Fahd Muftah Al-Zahrani, said that the ministry allocated an initiative to support the cultivation of prickly pear with a production line and a press for its oil, benefiting all farmers in the region. He pointed out that work is underway to find an integrated line for this product to achieve full benefit from it for all prickly pear farmers.
Al-Zahrani revealed the establishment of an integrated prickly pear city in cooperation with the prickly pear association in the region.
The owner of the initiative to cultivate prickly pears, Dr. Faeq Al-Ghamdi, stated that the initiative aims to achieve regional leadership in the cultivation and production of prickly pears. It also aims to achieve self-sufficiency internally and to be able to export the product.
Dr. Nadia Saeed Al-Zahrani, a nutritionist at AlBaha University, confirmed that the prickly pear grows in different colors ranging from green to red, noting that the red is sweeter in taste. She added that the prickly pear has health benefits for the human body because it contains many important nutrients, including fiber, minerals, and vitamins E, C and K and many minerals, all of which enhance health, including by helping improve the appearance of the skin, which may indirectly delay signs of aging. More specifically, she fiber contained in the prickly pear may contribute to weight loss and adjust levels of sugar and fat in the blood.
