Al-Bahah region mountains are speckled with bright white dots of colour this end of winter, as flowering almond trees dot like shining pearls the green heights. The almond tree adapts easily to various climatic conditions; it consumes little water and can survive without human intervention. It starts blossoming in the last days of winter, a season that usually registers high rates of rain, even though agricultural research has shown that the tree can tolerate drought. Almond trees are among the most important fruit trees in Al-Bahah's many governorates, including those of Mandaq, Bani Hassan, Al-Qura, and Beljershi, where almond yields give farmers a good economic return. Director General of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in Al-Bahah Region Eng. Fahd Al-Zahrani told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that almonds may be stored for long periods of time, even years. He noted that some 66 hectares of the region are planted with almond trees, whose prices vary, being high at the beginning of the season, lower in the middle, and high again towards the end of the season. Al-Zahrani said that the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture is lending support for almond production through an agricultural terraces habilitation and rainwater harvesting programme, as well as through the "Reef" programme, which provides financial and material assistance to farmers in order to contribute to increasing the amounts of agricultural crops with a good economic yield, which ultimately reflects on the quality of life of farmers.
