Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) will organize a workshop titled, ‘The Red Palm Weevil: The Challenge’ at its headquarters in Riyadh on April 14 and 15 under the patronage of Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thenayan Al-Saud, Chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and Chairman of SABIC, and in the presence of Minister of Agriculture Dr. Fahd bin Abdulrahman Balghonaim.
The workshop is reflective of SABIC’s close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture to enrich Saudi Arabia’s agriculture experience and its support to the farm sector in improving yield.
Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, said that SABIC has put together all the right elements to ensure the success of the workshop. Several scientists, researchers and specialists from the Kingdom and abroad have been invited to the workshop. They are well-versed with the subject of date palm cultivation, the threat from pests, particularly red palm weevil, and the ways to control them. The workshop will have a global appeal, he said.
The keynote speakers include Dr. Michael Ferry, Scientific Director of the Palm Research Station in Spain and author of several noted research works on the red palm weevil, Prof Michael Barela, head section of the entomology science at the University of California Davis, Dr. Richard Mankin, researcher at the US Department of Agriculture, who is a leading researcher in the early detection of weevil infection, as well as renowned scholars from Italy, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others.
Al-Mady said the aim of the workshop is to identify scientific ways to combat this dangerous pest. Out of the 23 million date palm trees, 80,000 have been hit by red palm weevil. Most countries growing palm trees are affected by the pest, making it a worldwide problem and not merely a local or regional challenge. This is what the workshop will address, he said.
Al-Mady said that SABIC’s sponsorship of the workshop is part of its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibilty and fulfilment of its national obligations. SABIC seeks to strengthen its contributions to the local and global communities.
The workshop revolves around four main topics: Review of the current status of the red weevil; the effects of the weevil; new technologies for early detection of infection; and integrated management to combat weevil.