Omani green-thumb grows medicinal plants to help community

Omani green-thumb grows medicinal plants to help community

Sheikh Salem Jarboun Hardan, who lives in the village of Araf in Wilayat Dhalkut, has always been interested in planting trees that have medicinal benefits, because of the value this provides to the community. Muscat: Cultivating medicinal plants that help cure a number of common ailments, including cough, colds, fever, burns, skin diseases, wounds, and even fractures, is the passion of an Omani national who lives in the country's southern Dhofar region. Sheikh Salem Jarboun Hardan, who lives in the village of Araf in Wilayat Dhalkut, has always been interested in planting trees that have medicinal benefits, because of the value this provides to the community. He is also working on methods to convert the seasonal agricultural practices of farmers into more sustainable cultivation that can be done throughout the year. "I grow a number of plants - such as myrrh - that were previously used to treat many medical ailments," he told Oman News Agency. "I also cultivate trees like jatropha, gum-based trees that are used as treatments and dressings for wounds and fractures." Sheikh Hardan also grows a number of crops that are used daily, such as corn, lemons, papayas, bananas, sugarcane, and a number of vegetables, including