The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced today the formation of a committee responsible for marketing Omani dried dates and study of  foreign markets that may attract this product. The Committee comes as the Ministry seeks in finding other foreign markets with current markets that attract dried dates as the product has a significant impact in establishing the existence and survival of palm, and that left a mark on the trade relations between the Sultanate and with other states in the past. Statistics show that the quantity of dried dates received in 2012 has risen three times in comparison to what was received in the past years. The received quantities in 2009 were (1930) tons and in 2010, (960) tons, in 2011 (1254) tons, in 2012 the quantities were received (4111) tons, of them (1130) tons were received from the Wilayats of Bidiya, Al Qabil, Al Mudharib, Ibra and (118) tons from the Wilayats of Jaalan, Al Mudhaibi, Al Kamil and Al Wafi and (1258) tons from Wadi Bani Khalid and the remaining quantities came from various governorates of the Sultanate. The Ministry seeks to encourage farmers to pay attention to this product, improve it and develop domestic industries out of it.