UAE palm tree farmers left high and dry

Ras Al Khaimah: Palm tree farms in the southern areas of Ras Al Khaimah have suffered because of the lack of water.

The only response to repeated calls for help made by farmers was granting them permission to dig wells on their own, after municipal officials' approval and under its supervision.

Ali Bin Saeed Al Dahmani, the chief of the area of Al Munaei said all the dead palm trees in the area should be replaced but that it would not be possible if water was not made available for the farmers.

"Our palm tree farms are already dead because of the lack of water and the farmers do not have the necessary wells to irrigate their farms," he said. "Al Munaei area itself needs at least 100 wells to water the palm tree farms and give them life once again," he added.

A few years ago, the Ras Al Khaimah Municipality banned digging wells on the farms, but recently the authorities cancelled that earlier decision and allowed the farmers to dig wells on their own, but under strict municipal supervision.

Khalfan Bin Shabib, a farmer from the southern areas of Ras Al Khaimah, said digging a small well cost about Dh60,000, which made it too costly to the average farmer.

Bank loans

"Some farmers have already taken bank loans to dig wells, but the money they borrowed was not sufficient to dig very deep wells which can generate huge quantities of water," he said. "The bank loans which the farmers took from the banks supported digging wells at certain depths not more than 500-600 feet deep which was not the right depth to find a good underground water source," he added.

Al Dahmani said that the old wells locally known as tawi had completely dried up, whereas in the early days, digging at 20 feet depth was enough to find water. "The lack of the rain has made the already bad situation of water even worse," he added.

He explained that digging a well should be at a depth of 800-1,000 feet to find water. "Digging at this depth is very expensive, especially when the monthly electricity bills are added," he said.

Al Dahmani said the farmers of the southern areas of Ras Al Khaimah have repeatedly spoken to the UAE authorities but nothing significant to save the dead farms has happened. "Al Munaie is dead. Al Naslah is dead. Rafaq is dead. Al Fashgha is dead. Some serious measures should instantly be taken to change the situation in these areas," he said.

Al Dahmani recommended the installation of 20-30 wells in each area connected to a giant tanker to distribute water to the spreading farms. "The official concerned authorities should implement this suggestion to give life to the dead land," he said. Farmers consider it very sad to see their farms and trees die before their eyes without being able to do anything to save them. Al Dahmani said that farmers cry when they approach him to complain about the death of their trees.

"The Emirati farmer considers and treats the palm tree just like his own child, so the precious trees should be given life," he said.

He stressed that Al Munaie and its surrounding areas were well known for the palm trees in the entire Gulf region, but the situation nowadays is very sad.

Al Dahmani said the farmers of the southern areas will send letters and visit the shaikhs to help with digging wells immediately after Ramadan.

Obaid Saeed, another Emirati farmer from the southern area of Ras Al Khaimah, said digging wells has ended up very costly with the current prices. A 10-foot-pipe was once sold for Dh25 but nowadays it is sold for Dh90, he said.

Digging alone

He added that in order to reduce the costs of digging wells and to avoid the empty promises of the well digging companies, the farmers dig wells on their own, but they cannot dig to the depth of 1,000 feet.

"Some farmers have dug wells and spent much money on them but the shallow depths they reached was disappointing and the very weak sources of water they found did not last long," he said.

A municipal committee decides for the farmer willing to dig a well the location for digging and the depth that should be reached to find water.

Sources at the Emiri Court said that the problem of the dead palm trees at the southern areas of Ras Al Khaimah is currently under strict revision and the Emiri Court is about to dig wells but not on an individual basis.

"The official suggestion is that farmers will be divided into small groups where a group of two or three farmers will have a well," the source said.