NEW initiatives to achieve food security set to be launched in Bahrain would include new aqua-farming, animal and agriculture projects, as well as increasing the production of poultry.
Plans are being stepped up to achieve the nation’s food sufficiency goals, said Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf.
“The General Poultry Company, the country’s biggest supplier of table eggs, is currently working to increase its production to 95 million eggs a year,” he told the Shura Council in writing, adding that the expansion project is 80-85 per cent complete.
“We are currently negotiating with the private sector for land to set up chicken coop farms that would see general local production expanded from nine million chicks to 20m chicks a year.
“The ministry has also been in contact with numerous countries to import cattle and sheep.”
The minister added that the agriculture sector is also being supported to intensify, enhance and improve local produce.
“We have revamped our agricultural laboratories, introduced new technologies and equipment, besides providing farming assistance whether through botanists or plant pathologists to local farmers.
“Platforms such as the permanent Farmers Market in Howrat A’ali and the seasonal Bahraini Farmers Market at the Budaiya Botanical Garden are helping market local produce.”
Pointing out that the private sector was now partnering in aquafarming projects, Mr Khalaf said:
“We have launched a joint programme with Tamkeen (Labour Fund) to train Bahrainis in aquafarming as we open the door for new partnerships in fish production.”
The GDN previously reported on the National Aquaculture Centre in Ras Hayyan producing local fish such as hammour and sea bream, as well as ongoing discussions regarding partnerships with China and Kuwait in local fisheries projects.
The centre aims to boost its efficiency to keep pace with the development taking place with a target of 20 million fingerlings being farmed locally by 2025.
Fingerlings are young or small fish, typically called so after hatching and before they reach their full-grown size.
Mr Khalaf said Bahrain followed an open market policy, with monitoring quality and prices beyond his ministry’s jurisdiction.
“Our job is to ensure sufficient supply of local products into the market to somehow ensure price stabilisation, but monitoring prices is not our responsibility.
“There is demand for local productions and we want that flow to continue in the highest and best way possible.”
Meanwhile, the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, is also investing in a food security investment company officially launched by His Majesty King Hamad in September last year.
In total, BD400 million-worth of projects are underway to establish hydroponic farms and 356 greenhouses – covering 260,000sqm of land – which will produce 3,600 tonnes of food annually and 1,112,000sqm of sea, which will lead to an annual production of 9,250 tonnes of fish such as safi, hammour and sea bream.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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