BAHRAIN is formulating a long-term roadmap to achieve food security.
Plans are underway to forge international and regional partnerships, and promote cutting-edge technologies and innovations to boost agricultural production and aquaculture, Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak said.
He told a parliamentary probe committee into food security that the main agreements with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) aim to diversify food sources, improve the marine resources sector, introduce a proper agricultural database and combat animal illnesses.
He added that Bahrain has signed agreements with Jordan, Tunisia, Australia, Yemen, Pakistan, Kuwait, Thailand, the UAE and China in multiple agriculture and aquaculture developmental fields.
“There are new initiatives to introduce hi-tech methods in agriculture and develop a plant genetic bank,” Mr Al Mubarak said, in a written reply to the committee.
“We are backing creative projects in the palm trees’ sector, and providing unlimited technical support to farmers. We are marketing the sector with the Bahraini Farmers’ Market, with its last edition seeing more than 250,000 visitors and sales of 320 tonnes of local agriculture products,” he added.
“The permanent farmers market in Howrat A’ali is rich with local produce and there are plans to expand this project.
“We also have teams on regular training to combat the palm weevil and other diseases affecting plants.”
The minister asserted that the new agricultural investment classification that has been recently introduced has indeed elevated the sector.
“We monitor farmers to ensure they use agriculture plots given to them for investments at very competitive rates and action has been taken against violators,” said Mr Al Mubarak.
“Irrigation equipment is 60 per cent subsidised by the ministry, whatever the market prices be. We also work to get new irrigation equipment provided to farmers whenever they are available in international markets.”
He explained that all fertilisers were being assessed to ensure compliance with international standards for health, safety, growth and productivity.
“There are six agriculture companies on rented municipal plots covering 25 hectares,” Mr Al Mubarak pointed out.
“Twenty-two farmers have also leased 18.79 hectares from us. Space allocated for support services has reached 19.58 hectares.
“Our annual returns from lease are BD162,754.”
Mr Al Mubarak said 85,617 tonnes of poultry meat and 92 million table eggs were produced last year.
“Our plan is to reach 120m eggs through a massive expansion in production lines by the end of this year,” he added.
“Our chick production is also set for an increase – from 9m to around 30 to 40m yearly – under new plans, and this will reduce our dependence on imports to just 30pc.
“Our vet quarantine has been increased in capacity to reach 3,000 heads of cattle, with us importing 33,517 tonnes of red meat and 66,637 tonnes of white meat last year.”
Meanwhile, Industry and Commerce Minister Abdulla Adel Fakhro told the probe committee that strategic stocks of 14 food items have been secured from 16 suppliers since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Health Minister Dr Jalila Al Sayyed said 955,000 tonnes of food were allowed into the country following inspections and tests, while 254,000 tonnes were rejected.
Meanwhile, the Bahrain Chamber revealed that the country exported 30 tonnes of lentils a day, while keeping 10,000 tonnes as stock annually.
The GDN yesterday reported that the parliamentary probe committee into food security has created a report, which includes findings and 17 recommendations, which will be debated by MPs on Tuesday.
The panel said Bahrain must achieve food security by increasing and sustaining local production and not relying on imports, which represent 90pc of the consumed food commodities.
MP Mohammed Al Marafi, who heads the panel, underscored the need to encourage, support and diversify foreign and local investments in food production.
He also called for safe and effective alternatives, especially after halting ‘Khairat Bahrain’ project, which was scheduled to be implemented in Sudan.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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