Breakthrough made in peanut output, export.
Arab News 28 July 1990

Riyadh – Saudi Arabia has achieved a breakthrough in producing and exporting high quality peanuts. The name behind this pioneering venture is Golden Grass, Inc. a Saudi agricultural company whose farm at Hail made a successful trial production of peanuts in rotation with wheat crop.

Speaking on phone from Hail, the farm's General Manager John Lawton told Arab News that they are raising two crops a year over an area of 760 hectares with a production capacity of 4,500 tons per season. Under the crop rotation program, wheat is planted in December and harvested in May, while peanuts are cultivated in May and harvested in December. Crop rotation serves to retain the fertility of the soil as well as diversifying the farm income.

Lawton said the farm's production capacity, which is at present limited, is being, utilized on the export front. Shipments have already been dispatched to some European destinations, like the Netherlands and Portugal, the marketing base for peanuts farmers from the United States, mainland China and Argentina. " Our European customers are highly satisfied with the quality of our produce and have firmed up orders for future supplies," Lawton said.

One of the advantages of peanut cultivation, according to him, is that the plants fix their own nitrogen, an important nutrient. This minimizes the use of fertilizers.

Asked what problems had to be overcome in the introduction of the peanut crops, Lawton said they related to the setting up of the center pivots, since the irrigation method is a complicated process. Harvesting is also done in two stages as the crop grows underground and has to be dried and shelled. A shelling plant at the farm will be installed soon, he added.