Healthy demand — pumpkin production on the rise in Qassim
BURAIDAH: It may be classed as a fruit, but pumpkin has become a key ingredient in cuisines around the world, thanks to its versatility and nutritional value.
And in Qassim, thanks to a favorable climate and agricultural conditions coupled with rising local demand, pumpkin production is enjoying significant growth.
Recorded health benefits of eating pumpkin include enhanced vision and better immunity. It also supports heart health, helps weight loss and promotes healthy skin and hair, as well as providing important nutrients and being low in calories.
Farmer Saleh bin Hamad Al-Saab spoke to the media about his experience of growing the fruit.
Possible, beneficial and promising
'Pumpkin cultivation in Qassim is not only possible, but also beneficial and promising,' he said.
'There are different kinds, including field pumpkin, butternut squash, kabocha squash, and even spaghetti squash, which is gaining increasing popularity.'
Each variety has its own uses and benefits. Field pumpkin is used in soups and baked goods, while butternut squash is a rich source of beta-carotene and spaghetti squash is a healthier alternative to pasta. As for white pumpkin, it is especially popular for festive decorations and seasonal occasions.
Al-Saab said that as pumpkin did not need huge amounts of water or pesticides to grow successfully, and it could be stored for long periods without deteriorating, it was considered a promising economic crop. Drip irrigation systems and the cultivation of diverse varieties have also significantly enhanced crop quality and boosted productivity.
The farmer highlighted the public's growing awareness of pumpkin as a healthy food choice and said there were a number of opportunities to develop other industries around the crop, such as juices, dehydrated foods and cosmetics.
This promising crop supports local food safety and achieves notable economic revenues, reflecting the agricultural sector's role in meeting the Kingdom's sustainable development targets.
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Arab News
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Healthy demand — pumpkin production on the rise in Qassim
BURAIDAH: It may be classed as a fruit, but pumpkin has become a key ingredient in cuisines around the world, thanks to its versatility and nutritional value. And in Qassim, thanks to a favorable climate and agricultural conditions coupled with rising local demand, pumpkin production is enjoying significant growth. Recorded health benefits of eating pumpkin include enhanced vision and better immunity. It also supports heart health, helps weight loss and promotes healthy skin and hair, as well as providing important nutrients and being low in calories. Farmer Saleh bin Hamad Al-Saab spoke to the media about his experience of growing the fruit. Possible, beneficial and promising 'Pumpkin cultivation in Qassim is not only possible, but also beneficial and promising,' he said. 'There are different kinds, including field pumpkin, butternut squash, kabocha squash, and even spaghetti squash, which is gaining increasing popularity.' Each variety has its own uses and benefits. Field pumpkin is used in soups and baked goods, while butternut squash is a rich source of beta-carotene and spaghetti squash is a healthier alternative to pasta. As for white pumpkin, it is especially popular for festive decorations and seasonal occasions. Al-Saab said that as pumpkin did not need huge amounts of water or pesticides to grow successfully, and it could be stored for long periods without deteriorating, it was considered a promising economic crop. Drip irrigation systems and the cultivation of diverse varieties have also significantly enhanced crop quality and boosted productivity. The farmer highlighted the public's growing awareness of pumpkin as a healthy food choice and said there were a number of opportunities to develop other industries around the crop, such as juices, dehydrated foods and cosmetics. This promising crop supports local food safety and achieves notable economic revenues, reflecting the agricultural sector's role in meeting the Kingdom's sustainable development targets.
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Gaza faces a man-made drought as water systems collapse: UNICEF
Gaza is facing a man-made drought as its water systems collapse, the United Nations' children agency said on Friday. 'Children will begin to die of thirst ... Just 40 percent of drinking water production facilities remain functional,' UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva. 'We are way below emergency standards in terms of drinking water for people in Gaza,' he added. UNICEF also reported a 50 percent increase in children aged six months to 5 years admitted for treatment of malnutrition from April to May in Gaza, and half a million people going hungry. It said the US-backed aid distribution system run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) was 'making a desperate situation worse.' On Friday at least 25 people awaiting aid trucks or seeking aid were killed by Israeli fire south of Netzarim in central Gaza Strip, according to local health authorities. On Thursday at least 51 people were killed by Israeli gunfire and military strikes, including 12 people who tried to approach a site operated by the GHF in the central Gaza Strip. Elder, who was recently in Gaza, said he had many testimonials of women and children injured while trying to receive food aid, including a young boy who was wounded by a tank shell and later died of his injuries. He said a lack of public clarity on when the sites, some of which are in combat zones, were open was causing mass casualty events. 'There have been instances where information (was) shared that a site is open, but then it's communicated on social media that they're closed, but that information was shared when Gaza's internet was down and people had no access to it,' he said. On Wednesday, the GHF said in a statement it had distributed three million meals across three of its aid sites without an incident. On Friday at least 12 people were killed in an airstrike on a house belonging to the Ayyash family in Deir Al-Balah, taking the day's death toll to 37.
