''Our five pillars are production and supply of rice, sugar, grain, meat (white and red), and animal feed,'' said the Chairman and managing director, Nasser bin Mohamed Mubarak al-Fuhaid al-Hajri after the company's first ordinary general assembly meeting yesterday (May 31).

 

The countries and sectors identified in 2009 are Qatar (animal feed, flower, poultry, logistic, green house); Australia (sheep, grain); Brazil (poultry/beef, sugar, grain); Argentina (grain); Sudan (sugar, grain, animal feed); Turkey (meat, dairy, sheep grain); Cambodia, India, Pakistan (rice); Uruguay (rice, grain, meat) and Georgia (grain). ''Hassad Food, established in July 2008, has launched two good projects, in Qatar and Australia, respectively,'' al-Hajri said.

 

Hassad Qatar animal fodder, launched commercially in Qatar in 2009, is being expanded substantially this year and would see multi-fold rise in sales and profitability. Hassad has also commenced operations in Australia by forming a 100% subsidiary company, acquisition of the first farm land and introduction of Awassi lamb breeding programme.

 

''Similarly, we have established 100% subsidiaries in Sudan and Turkey to facilitate targeted investment, and 2010 will be the year of execution of the strategic investment plan,'' the official said.

 

In Qatar, Hassad Food will be establishing a QAR300 million (US$82.4 million) poultry farm, which is to begin production two-and-a-half years from now.

 

''All the local investments in Qatar will be done by our subsidiary Hassad Qatar, which has already spent QAR35 million (US$9.6 million) for the animal feed project,'' al-Hajri said. Asked about the agriculture plans in Qatar, Hassad Qatar chairman and managing director explained that crops are to be grown in green houses. ''We could be using aeroponics or hydroponics in the green houses,'' he said.