Pomegranate picking has begun on farms across Al-Baha Region, as growers prepare for the upcoming 15th Pomegranate Festival, which will bring together farmers, producers and fans of one of the region's signature crops and give local fruit a marketing outlet.

Farms in several governorates are busy with picking, preparing and sorting fruit for the market and the festival, with farmers keen to protect quality and make the most of the season to boost their income.

Fahad Al-Zahrani, Director General of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture's Al-Baha branch, said the region has about 750,000 pomegranate trees with an estimated annual yield of around 10,000 tons, and pointed to work under way to develop cultivation, improve production efficiency and raise farmers' returns.

Farmer Tariq Al-Zahrani, who has more than 6,000 trees, said the harvest crowns months of care, from irrigation, pruning and maintenance through ripening, picking, sorting and preparing the fruit for sale.

The season showcases Al-Baha's agricultural diversity, as pomegranates travel from farm to market carrying a year of work and remain closely tied to the region's identity and farming calendar.