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RIYADH: Olive presses in the Jouf region have begun production, supplying olive oil and pressed olives to local and international markets, marking the start of a busy season for agricultural holdings and projects.

Mohammed Al-Fadel, chairman of a local multipurpose cooperative association, highlighted his organization’s efforts to meet the region’s growing production.

He said the association recently upgraded its press with the latest Italian technology, increasing capacity from 18 to 60 tonnes per 24 hours, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Al-Fadel added that the press, serving farmers since the 1990s, now operates around the clock during the season, which typically runs until January.

Last year, it processed the produce of 215 farmers, ensuring product safety through laboratory testing in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

Bassam Al-Owaiesh, associate professor of environment and agriculture at Jouf University’s biology department, said the region has more than 25 million olive trees, with production starting in early October.

The region cultivates numerous varieties, including Arbequina and Picual, valued for their oil content and fruit size, he added.

Every year, the region celebrates production through the Jouf International Olive Festival. Organized by the regional municipality, the event showcases the region’s olive oil and table olives, as well as related industries like olive soap, pickles and cosmetic products.

RIYADH: During the migratory season this year, field teams from the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve have spotted more than 300 great white pelicans at one of five sites within the reserve recognized as Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas and Key Biodiversity Areas.

These five locations are particularly significant because they lie along the migratory route and so they serve as havens where birds can rest and feed during their long journeys south. As a result, the reserve is considered one of the region’s key nature attractions featuring large migratory birds, which account for about 88 percent of its total recorded species. It attracts more than 290 species, including the heron, a common migratory presence in the region, the eastern imperial eagle, and the houbara.

Environmentalists at the reserve are busy implementing ecological programs and monitoring its key migratory sites to ensure the sustainability of these species.

The reserve is home to 26 species of birds that are listed internationally as endangered, the Saudi Press Agency reported, and the teams of experts working there are contributing to conservation efforts and the protection of biodiversity to help ensure a balanced ecosystem.

The royal reserve covers an area of 130,700 sq. km that takes in parts of Northern Borders region, Jouf, Tabuk and Hail. It is one of the first stops in the Kingdom for birds arriving from Asia and Europe in the fall, and the last before they head north in the spring.