- Title: Middle East's biggest agriculture exhibition kicks off in Riyadh
- Date: 3rd October 2016
- Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (OCTOBER 2, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF VISITORS ENTERING THE SAUDI AGRICULTURE EXHIBITION IN RIYADH PEOPLE WALKING AT EXHIBITION SAUDI MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND AGRICULTURE, ABDULRAHMAN AL-FADHLI, TOURING THE EXHIBITION VARIOUS OF MAN DEMONSTRATING MACHINE MAKING GREEN FODDER GREEN FODDER COMING OUT OF MACHINE BANNER READING (Arabic): "SAUDI AGRICULTURE EXHIBITION" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SAUDI MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND AGRICULTURE, ABDULRAHMAN AL-FADHLI, SAYING: "The Cabinet recently approved the allocation of 10 percent of the purchases of wheat for Saudi businessmen who are investing abroad and will evaluate this experience through the coming three years, we take enough measures to urge businesses men and farmers to Investment abroad." MINISTER AND PARTICIPANTS WALKING TO EXHIBITION AREA FOR FAKIEH POULTRY FARMS, THE BIGGEST FARM IN THE MIDDLE EAST MINISTER SPEAKING TO CEO OF FAKIEH POULTRY FARMS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CEO OF FAKIEH POULTRY FARMS CO., MAHMOUD FAKIEH, SAYING: "Poultry sector is currently represents 45 percent of the kingdom's consumption and 55 percent is imported from abroad, God willing, according to the state plan on (2030) on 2020 the domestic production to reach up to 60 percent." VARIOUS OF PRODUCTS FROM AL MARAI DAIRY AND FOOD COMPANY ON DISPLAY FOOD ITEMS ON TABLE / MINISTER SPEAKING TO AL MARAI CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALMARAI CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, GEORGES P. SCHORDERET, SAYING: "We will also contribute to achieving some objective of the ministry of agriculture by importing 100 percent of our feed requirement by 2019, so this I believe is a big task not only for us but for the agriculture industry.'' VARIOUS OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM A VEGETABLES PRODUCTION COMPANY SHOWING THEIR PRODUCE TO VISITORS CLOSE-UP OF CUCUMBERS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SALES MANAGER OF SAUDI GREENHOUSES MANAGEMENT & AGRIL MARKETING CO., NASSER RASHID, SAYING: "We are located in Saudi Arabia, we are able to convey the idea of protected glass greenhouses to anyone owns desert land and would like to convert it into agricultural land, producing all year.'' VISITORS AT THE EXHIBITION ARABIC LOGO OF AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND BANNER SHOWING THE STATISTICS OF THE FUND'S ACHIEVEMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GENERAL MANAGER OF AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND, MUNEER ALSAHALI, SAYING: "Our intention at the fund is to help the Specialized projects that help in achieving food security. Last year the Fund provided about 3,000 loans and since the beginning of the fund foundation up till now, we have provided about 50 billion (Saudi riyals) to support the agricultural sector projects." VISITORS AT TURKISH DELIGHT SECTION VARIOUS OF MAN MAKING TURKISH DELIGHT AND OFFERING THEM TO VISITORS
- Embargoed: 18th October 2016 17:40
- Keywords: Saudi Arabia agriculture exhibition Riyadh
- Location: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
- City: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Topics: Government/Politics,International Trade
- Reuters ID: LVA00152L847P
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hundreds of companies from the Middle East gather in Saudi Arabia for the largest agriculture exhibition in the region.
The 35th International Trade Exhibition for Agriculture, Water & Agro-Industry is held in the Saudi capital Riyadh from October 2 - 5, where 350 companies from more than a score of countries are gathering to showcase their products and services.
Fodder agriculture is one of the main focuses at this year's event.
The desert kingdom is steadily phasing out the growing of crops and fodder because of the strain such cultivation places on scarce water resources, and it's now looking to stop cultivating all kinds of green fodder in the coming years.
"The Cabinet recently approved the allocation of 10 percent of the purchases of wheat for Saudi businessmen who are investing abroad and will evaluate this experience through the coming three years, we take enough measures to urge businesses men and farmers to Investment abroad," Abdulrahman al-Fadhli, Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, told reporters.
Saudi companies are grappling with a protracted slump in oil prices that is putting government and consumer spending under pressure.
One exception is the poultry sector, which remains strong and has a large presence in this year's exhibition.
"Poultry sector is currently represents 45 percent of the kingdom's consumption and 55 percent is imported from abroad, God willing, according to the state plan on (2030) on 2020 the domestic production to reach up to 60%," said the CEO of Fakieh Poultry Farms Co., Mahmoud Fakieh, adding that his company produces one million birds each day as well as three million eggs.
Saudi Arabia's Almarai, the Gulf's largest dairy company, has warned of challenging market conditions in the face of the region's economic slowdown.
In its annual report of 2015, Almarai announced that it would start fully relying on imported feed for its farms by January 2019.
"We will also contribute to achieving some objective of the ministry of agriculture by importing 100 percent of our feed requirement by 2019, so this I believe is a big task not only for us but for the agriculture industry," said Almairai Chief Executive Officer, Georges P. Schorderet, at the exhibition.
Saudi Arabia is drumming up investment opportunities in the fish farming sector and greenhouses in order to achieve sustainable food security.
"We are located in Saudi Arabia, we are able to convey the idea of protected glass greenhouses to anyone owns desert land and would like to convert it into agricultural land, producing all year,'' said Nasser Rashid, Sales Manager of Saudi Greenhouses management & Agril Marketing.
The Saudi Government is also encouraging Saudi agricultural investments abroad to promote Saudi investments in countries rich in water and agricultural resources, in an attempt to provide Saudi Arabia with a secure strategic stock of commodities that would give the country food and water security.
"Our intention at the fund is to help the Specialized projects that help in achieving food security. Last year the Fund provided about 3,000 loans and since the beginning of the fund foundation up till now, we have provided about 50 billion (Saudi riyals) to support the agricultural sector projects," said Muneer Alsahali, General Manager of the Agriculture Development Fund.
In a multi-billion dollar search for food security, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf desert states, which rely on imports for 80 to 90 percent of their food needs, have invested heavily in agricultural projects overseas since 2008.
This year Saudi Arabia's agriculture company has taken control of the majority investor in grain handler G3 Canada Limited, according to a filing.
G3 Global Holdings, the joint venture of U.S. agribusiness Bunge and Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co (SALIC), bought 50.1 percent of the former Canadian Wheat Board in 2015 for C$250 million ($194.22 million). It was renamed G3 Canada, with farmers accounting for 49.9 percent of equity.
In two steps this year, SALIC, an arm of the state-owned Public Investment Fund, grew its stake in the joint venture to 75 percent from 49 percent, according to an April 28 Bunge filing.
Canada is the world's second largest wheat exporter and shipped 378,000 tonnes of wheat to Saudi Arabia in 2013/14 and 126,500 tonnes of barley, according to the Canadian Grain Commission. In contrast, total Saudi imports in that period were 3.43 million tonnes of wheat and 9 million tonnes of barley, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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