1. The provisions apply to investor farmers engaged in the cultivation of green fodder in the areas covered in item (First) of the regulations for implementing the Council of Ministers Decision No. (66) dated 25/2/1437 AH, effective from 25 Safar 1440 AH.

They are divided into the following:

• A- Medium and small farmers.

• B- Agricultural companies and large farmers with major projects investing in the cultivation of green fodder.

• C- Dairy production companies and projects that cultivate green fodder.

• D- Dairy production companies and projects that cultivate green fodder.

2. The areas planted with green fodder must be located in the sedimentary rift area as indicated on the water map issued by the water sector of the Ministry and are divided into the following:

• A- 50 hectares and less (small farmer investing in the cultivation of green fodder).

• B- More than 50 hectares and up to 100 hectares (medium farmer investing in the cultivation of green fodder).

• C- More than 100 hectares (agricultural companies and large farmers investing in the cultivation of green fodder, as well as dairy production companies that cultivate green fodder).

Types of green fodder crops that are prohibited from being cultivated due to their high water consumption for irrigation are: (alfalfa - Rhodes grass - sorghum "green fodder/grains" - Sudan grass - corn "green fodder/grains" - blue panic grass - ryegrass - barley "green fodder/grains"), in addition to any other types and varieties that the Ministry may specify later.

Agricultural crops and their products (fresh or processed) that are prohibited from being exported due to water waste:

These include (watermelon, cantaloupe, potatoes, dry onions, tomatoes, corn, olives, squash, grapes) in addition to any crops that the Ministry may consider in the future as water-wasting crops.

1. Green fodder farmers who cultivate green fodder on an area exceeding 100 hectares shall transition to alternative fodder cultivation according to the administrative and technical requirements of the Ministry as follows:

• A- Investment in integrated feed mills, provided that inputs are imported.

• B- Investment in poultry projects and their industries.

• C- Investment in the breeding and fattening of livestock that rely on integrated feed for their nutrition.

• D- Investment in advanced greenhouses that contribute to achieving food security.

• E- Investment in the cultivation of forage plants, provided that modern irrigation systems are used according to the varieties and areas specified by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

• F- Investment in fishery projects in saline waters.

• G- Investment in the cultivation of green fodder outside the Kingdom for export to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

• H- Investment in water-efficient tourism projects.

2. For those who practice fodder cultivation on areas not exceeding 50 hectares (small farmers) at the time of the issuance of Decision (66) dated 25/2/1437 AH, there are several options:

• A- Completely cease fodder cultivation and receive financial compensation of 4000 Riyals for each hectare, with a maximum of 200,000 Riyals, disbursed in installments over five years.

• B- Cultivate wheat on an area not exceeding 50 hectares and cease after the wheat harvest season, with the Saudi Grains Organization receiving the produced wheat as the sole entity supplying mills with wheat.

• C- Continue cultivating green fodder on an area not exceeding 50 hectares.

3. For those who practice green fodder cultivation on areas exceeding 50 hectares and not exceeding 100 hectares (medium farmers) at the time of the issuance of Decision No. (66) dated 25/2/1437 AH, they must reduce the cultivated area of green fodder to a maximum of 50 hectares, and then choose one of the following alternatives:

• A- Completely cease green fodder cultivation and receive financial compensation of 4000 Riyals for each hectare cultivated with green fodder at the time of the issuance of the decision, not exceeding 400,000 Riyals, disbursed in installments over five years.

• B- Continue cultivating green fodder on an area not exceeding 50 hectares, and they are entitled to compensation for the reduced area of 4000 Riyals for each hectare, not exceeding 200,000 Riyals, disbursed in installments over five years.

• C- Cultivate wheat on an area not exceeding 50 hectares only and cease cultivation after the wheat harvest season, with the Saudi Grains Organization receiving the produced wheat as the sole entity supplying mills with wheat, and they are entitled to compensation for the reduced area of 4000 Riyals for each hectare cultivated with green fodder at the time of the issuance of the decision, not exceeding 200,000 Riyals, disbursed in installments over five years.

4. For those who practice green fodder cultivation on areas exceeding 100 hectares (agricultural companies and farmers with large projects investing in green fodder cultivation and those cultivating fodder on areas exceeding 100 hectares from companies and dairy producers) at the time of the issuance of Decision No. (66) dated 25/2/1437 AH, they must completely cease green fodder cultivation and are only entitled to invest in the available alternatives mentioned in item (Fourth) above according to the standards and procedures followed by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

1. The specialists in the General Departments of Agriculture in the regions and their branches (engineers, specialists, researchers, and agricultural technicians) shall conduct inspections of farms and control violations of the provisions contained in these regulations.

2. Violations, after being controlled and investigated by agricultural specialists, shall be referred to the committees reviewing violations of the Agricultural System and its executive regulations to impose penalties related to the violations of stopping the cultivation of green fodder.

3. Any violator of these regulations shall be punished with a fine of 4000 Riyals for each hectare planted with green fodder in one year for the first time, and the fine shall be doubled in case of repeated violations each time.

4. An objection to the penalty decision may be filed before the competent administrative courts within sixty days from the date of knowledge of the decision.

A- Adherence to the provisions regarding the suspension of green fodder cultivation in compliance with the esteemed Council of Ministers Decision No. (66) dated 25/2/1437 AH.

B- Not to cultivate any crops in new agricultural holdings or expand existing holdings.

C- Obligation to install meters on wells to measure the amount of water consumed.

1. The General Departments of Agriculture Affairs in the regions shall notify (medium and small farmers) investors in the cultivation of green fodder about the regulations for stopping the cultivation of fodder.

2. The Ministry shall officially inform agricultural companies and farmers with large projects investing in the cultivation of green fodder and dairy production companies to stop the cultivation of fodder starting from 25/2/1440 AH.

3. The General Departments of Agriculture Affairs in the regions located within the sedimentary uplift area and its affiliated agricultural branches shall facilitate the tasks of the field teams from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, which will collect the necessary information to establish a comprehensive database for green fodder farms in the sedimentary uplift area.

4. The regulations for the cultivated areas shall be applied according to the Council of Ministers Decision No. (66) dated 25/2/1437 AH after the concerned committee in each region determines that these farms were cultivated with green fodder on 25/2/1437 AH, as shown by the data from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.

5. The General Departments of Agriculture Affairs in the regions located within the sedimentary uplift area and its affiliated directorates and agricultural branches shall register all agricultural holdings and their actual activities in reality, and their legality with ownership deeds, update their agricultural records, and issue a license from the Ministry's Agriculture Agency to practice their agricultural activity according to the technical regulations and in line with achieving water and food security, provided that the agricultural license is granted under the following conditions:

• A. The agricultural activity must comply with the relative advantages determined by the Ministry.

• B. The area designated for the agricultural activity must not exceed the specified area according to the crop composition.

• C. The crops cultivated must be among the crops permitted for cultivation or targeted as determined by the Ministry.

• D. Modern technologies and approved production methods in the Ministry must be applied to rationalize the use of irrigation water.

6. A farmer who cultivates fodder on an area of 50 hectares or less and wishes to switch to wheat cultivation and apply a crop rotation can implement the crop rotation at least every two years.

7. A farmer who has rented a farm under a lease contract and will replace fodder cultivation with wheat must register the wheat crop in the name of the tenant if the tenant provides a notarized lease contract from the Notary Public or from a licensed attorney authorized to notarize by the Ministry of Justice.

8. Any fodder farmer with an area exceeding 100 hectares must completely stop cultivating green fodder and only switch to investing in one of the investment alternatives, and only those who cultivate an area of 50 hectares or less are allowed to cultivate fodder, or those who have reduced their cultivated area from 100 hectares to 50 hectares according to the regulations.

9. A farmer who owns several farms in one area or in several areas within the sedimentary uplift range, with each farm having an independent deed and each of these farms cultivating green fodder on an area of 100 hectares or less or more, will be dealt with only as the owner, and the owner must choose only one farm to continue cultivating green fodder, which will be treated according to what is stated in paragraph 3 of section four, while the rest of the farms must stop cultivating green fodder and are not allowed to lease them for the purpose of benefiting from the application of the regulations, and they can invest in the available alternatives mentioned in item (four) above according to the standards and procedures followed by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

10. Agricultural lands that have been parcelled and vacated from the Notary Public before the decisions issued on 25/2/1437 AH without referring to the Ministry for the parceling will be dealt with according to the previous lending from the Agricultural Development Fund, including heirs, and if they have not dealt with the fund, the ownership deeds for the parcelled lands issued by a decision from the Sharia Court before the date of 25/2/1437 AH will be taken into account.

11. If a farmer has an existing loan from the Agricultural Development Fund and the borrower is regular in repaying the due installments, another loan will be granted from the fund to finance the alternative project.

12. If the borrower is in default in repaying the due installments, they must first rectify their situation with the Agricultural Development Fund, and if the fund agrees, they will be financed within the alternative projects.

13. Regarding the deduction of financial dues in favor of the Agricultural Development Fund for those compensated in case of stopping agriculture, this contradicts the regulations approved by the Council of Ministers Decision No. (39) dated 16/1/1438 AH.

14. Regarding the deduction of financial dues from the Agricultural Development Fund from farmers when disbursing the value of the wheat crop supplied to the Grain Silos and Flour Mills Organization, it will be as previously practiced.

15. In the event of completely stopping the cultivation of fodder and choosing financial compensation, the farmer does not have the right to return to cultivating any alternative, and if they do not comply and implement the cultivation of fodder or its alternative, the specified penalty will be applied. However, if they wish to depart from the compensation, they must return the compensation amount in one payment and provide proof of payment before their request is considered, and in this case, they have the following options:

• A- For the option of cultivating wheat, registration must be done annually with the Ministry and its branches, provided that they completely stop after harvesting the wheat crop in the summer period.

• B- Those who wish to continue cultivating fodder must adhere to the area specified in the regulations for implementing the Council of Ministers Decision No. (66) dated 25/2/1437 AH, and those who exceed the specified areas in the regulations will be subject to a financial fine.

16. Conducting a technical field survey in cooperation with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology to build a database on green fodder farms in all regions of the Kingdom, including all types of crops cultivated therein, and updating it periodically.

17. Coordinating with Saudi Aramco and the Saudi Electricity Company - each in their respective matters - to take the necessary measures to require the availability of an agricultural record and a valid license to obtain fuel and electricity services for those engaged in agricultural activities.

19. Coordinating with the Ministry of Culture and Information to raise awareness among agricultural activity practitioners regarding what is stated in these regulations.