**6. Concluding remarks, policy implications, and recommendations**

This study analyzed the value chain of date palm fruit in the GCC Countries. The value chain development, sustainability and competitiveness are very crucial issues facing the agribusiness sector of the GCC economy, particularly for the small holder's growers. The GCC agribusiness is been noted for the sale of raw agricultural products palm fruits is one of the major cash crops in the majority of these countries. Dates could provide a greater contribution to the GCC economy if producers paid more attention to its production and marketing. Date palm production is no longer a way of life but nowadays is considered as an investment option and source of revenues for many stakeholders.

The assessment of the supply date palm value chain in the GCC countries suggests the following:


Moreover, several constraints and challenges affecting the date palm value chain in the GCC including are revealed and are summarized as follows:


**25**

*Date Palm Value Chain Analysis and Marketing Opportunities for the Gulf Cooperation…*

• Lack of efficient processing system (storage, transportation, etc.).

• Low exported quantity and low competitiveness of processed date palm

• Insufficient research and development activities in the date palm sector.

Therefore, to enhance the growth of the date palm value chain in the GCC countries, three development strategies are to be considered towards a dynamic and






the quality standards for export are met.





• Pests and diseases and inadequate integrated pest management (IPM) control.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82450*

• High post-harvest losses.

systemic change:

• Harvesting, processing and marketing.

products on the international markets.

• Supply chain development and management

handling procedures;

• Market and marketing development

of intermediate operators;

• Agri-business development

furniture,

value varieties;

varieties.

• Inefficient use of dates products and by-products.

• Shortage in national qualified and trained staff & labors.

*Date Palm Value Chain Analysis and Marketing Opportunities for the Gulf Cooperation… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82450*


*Agricultural Economics - Current Issues*

meetings, conferences, festivals, and Attaché offices.

of revenues for many stakeholders.

quently low returns.

• Reduction in the consumption of dates.

• Decreasing trends on the exports of fresh dates.

• A low consumption level for the industrial dates.

• A low level of utilization of date by-products.

• An important level on dates used for animal feeding.

in the GCC including are revealed and are summarized as follows:

gests the following:

As it was stated above, the international markets are becoming very demanding in terms of standards and norms, mainly for the perishable products such as dates (as fruits) This will be a challenge for local producers to be competitive in the international markets. In 2015, since about 30% was the share of the GCC countries in the international date market, there is a strong potential for dominating the international date market. This is feasible if there is a strong coordination on trade strategies between the GCC countries in terms of providing safe and secure products; adopting standard specifications and norms in the producing countries to reach the world market with distinct varieties reflecting the position of these countries in the production of date fruits; conducting studies to understand the international markets (volume, size, main competitors, marketing strategies, etc.), their needs, laws, regulations, and providing the information on the national key actors (producers, manufacturers, exporters, etc.), supporting and encouraging the participation of producing companies in the international trade fairs and with supporting exports policies, and finally conducting campaign on advertising and promotion of dates and its nutritional and healthy benefits through international

**6. Concluding remarks, policy implications, and recommendations**

This study analyzed the value chain of date palm fruit in the GCC Countries. The value chain development, sustainability and competitiveness are very crucial issues facing the agribusiness sector of the GCC economy, particularly for the small holder's growers. The GCC agribusiness is been noted for the sale of raw agricultural products palm fruits is one of the major cash crops in the majority of these countries. Dates could provide a greater contribution to the GCC economy if producers paid more attention to its production and marketing. Date palm production is no longer a way of life but nowadays is considered as an investment option and source

The assessment of the supply date palm value chain in the GCC countries sug-

Moreover, several constraints and challenges affecting the date palm value chain

• Low quality varieties, low product quality, low exported quantity, and conse-

• Poor farming management (Inefficient use of date products and by-products).

*5.4.5.2 International markets*

**24**


Therefore, to enhance the growth of the date palm value chain in the GCC countries, three development strategies are to be considered towards a dynamic and systemic change:

	- Improving date palm farming practices and initiation of better post-harvest handling procedures;
	- Processing and production of value-added products by focusing on added value varieties;
	- Export premium date products with consistency in supply of high-quality varieties.
	- Establishing a basic data on the local and export date marketing sector;
	- Improve the efficiency of the marketing process to guarantee good prices to the farmers and to decrease the final market prices by limiting the number of intermediate operators;
	- Producing in-demand products at competitive prices;
	- A Pre-harvest Best Management Practices (BMPs) will certainly ensure that the quality standards for export are met.
	- Introducing of new potential uses of dates and date products in the pharmaceutical industries, confectionaries, agro-food industries, handcrafts and furniture,
	- Support the investment for the Small Business Enterprises (SBE's);

