GARDENS

Created in 1996, they produced their first harvest in 1999. Their goal is to diversify the food supply of the inhabitants of Oualata, to provide a complementary source of income to the 60 families who operate them and to fix the population in the region thanks to 2 reservoirs which, in the hot season, work with solar panels. If you have the chance to meet one of the 2 engineers who work there, visit them with him, you will be amazed. The water is first pumped from a non-permanent water table, raised and then stored in a reservoir, the pressure exerted making it naturally flow back down to the gardens.

Then, the irrigation system set up allows to save water by allocating to each plant the flow that is necessary for it. This technique has made it possible to introduce species that would have been incompatible with the climate of the region. We discover date palms, jujube trees, baobabs, lemon trees, mandarin trees, mango trees and even vines! Vegetables are not forgotten with tomatoes, beans and onions consumed fresh on the spot or dried. So much so that the market garden production is today superior to the consumption of the inhabitants! Fruits and vegetables are exported to Néma. The gardens also produce compost from camel dung, medicinal plants and natural insecticides. This vegetation attracts a lot of game, including a few hares, which are an important food supplement for those who trap them.