July 3, 2007

 

Sales of frozen poultry to Bahrain likely to increase 60 percent by 2010

 

 

Bird flu fears to drive frozen poultry sales up by 60 percent by 2010, according to the Bahrain Food & Drink Report Q4 2006 from Research and Markets.

 

The Bahrain Food & Drink Report provides independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Bahrain's food & drink industry.

 

Renewed fears of bird flu is expected to create greater opportunities for packaged foods in the country, as consumers become more concerned with health and hygiene issues. The trend is expected to drive sales of frozen poultry up by almost 60 percent by 2010, the report said.

 

The Bahrain government is also investing in building multi-story poultry farming structures due to the lack of space in the kingdom for poultry farms, according to the Municipalities and Agriculture Ministry.

 

Like many small kingdoms in the region, Bahrain is heavily reliant on food imports, due to its small population and its desert terrain which is not conducive to agriculture.

 

In the period to 2010, the report predicted that while the value of the kingdom's exports would fall by 7.3 percent, its imports would rise 14.5 percent, resulting in a wider trade imbalance.

 

The report also noted that as agricultural sectors in neighbouring markets improves, demand for Bahraini produce is likely to decrease slightly - explaining the fall in value of export sales.

 

The value of imports, however, will climb as consumption habits change and consumers develop preferences for processed foods.

 

The government's lack of interest in developing the processed food sector is likely to further this need for imports.

 

Despite the lack of the kingdom's capacity in food self-sufficiency, the kingdom is unlikely to implement any measures to improve its food producing or processing capability, preferring to focus on other sectors of its economy, the report noted.