March 17, 2022

Saudi Arabia aims to raise its self-sufficiency rate of poultry to more than 80% by 2025

Mansour bin Hilal Al-Mushaiti, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, said the country aims to raise its self-sufficiency rate of poultry to more than 80% by 2025 through granting government lands to projects, provided by the ministry in collaboration with Agricultural Development Fund, Saudi Press Agency reported.

His ministry will also provide funding and support for the development and expansion of the poultry sector, which currently stands at 70%.

The minister said his strategic plan is to expand investment operations, boost domestic output, meet rising demand, achieve self-sufficiency, increase the volume of the economy in addition to attracting new investors, and create job opportunities.

Ahmed bin Saleh Al-Ayada, the Undersecretary of Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for Agricultural Affairs, said more than SAR 723 million (~US$192 million; SAR 1 = US$0.27) has been allocated to the poultry industry through the agricultural subsidies programme, which aims to boost Saudi Arabia's food security system and support new investments in the Saudi poultry industry per the objectives of Vision 2030.

Al-Ayada said the ministry's efforts are focused on searching new solutions to regional challenges in poultry production and meeting rising demand, as these efforts resulted in the country's yearly output surpassing 1.3 million birds and 5.4 million eggs. He said the country's annual per capita consumption of poultry amounts to nearly 50 kilograms.

They were speaking at inauguration of the Middle East Poultry Exhibition in Riaydh, the first and largest of its kind specialized in the poultry sector in the Middle East. 150 companies from 30 countries are participating in this exhibition.

-      Saudi Press Agency