Madinah, May 16, 2019, SPA -- The International Council for Dates launched its meetings here today with the participation of Ministers of Agriculture; representatives of the date producing and importing countries and organizations; the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development and representatives of the private sector. Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdurrahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadhli stressed in his opening speech the importance of economic, social and environmental development in the palm and dates sector, pointing out that despite the contribution of this sector to sustainable agricultural and rural development, it is still traditional in all its stages, which requires a great effort to transform it into an advanced sector in which production is linked to manufacturing and marketing, so that it can compete and achieve better returns. Al-Fadhli commended the great attention being accorded to the development and sustainability of palm and dates sector by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's government, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. --SPA 19:27 LOCAL TIME 16:27 GMT 0015 www.spa.gov.sa/w1103517