Saudi Agricultural Investment Financing Witnesses 400 Percent Growth
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadhli, emphasized the success of the Kingdom’s experience in the Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, which was launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
In remarks during his participation in the meeting of the ministers of Agriculture of the G20 in the Italian city of Florence, Fadhli said that 12 billion riyals (USD 3.2 billion) were allocated to support small farmers.
The minister noted that agricultural investments in Saudi Arabia, funded by the Agricultural Development Fund, have grown over the past four years by about 400 percent, which has contributed to building a resilient and sustainable food system.
He added that the Kingdom has turned to modern technical methods in the field of agricultural extension, with the aim of reaching the largest segment of farmers in a faster and more efficient manner.
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hail (Northern Saudi Arabia), represented by the Agriculture and Food Committee, held a meeting in which it discussed the most important challenges facing farmers and agricultural marketing.
The meeting was held in the presence of specialized members and representatives of the Agricultural Development Fund, the Ministry of Environment, the Municipality of Hail, the Saudi Grains Organization, and the Ministry of Tourism.
Discussions during the meeting focused on the mechanism of establishing a farmer’s market, in addition to the agricultural crop festivals in the region – projects that were recently approved on the main platform of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and presented to investors and businessmen.
Source: Asharq Al-Awsat
Eng. Al-Fadhli: Saudi Arabia has taken important steps to build effective and flexible food systems
- February 23, 2021
- 5:37 am
Eng. Al-Fadhli: Saudi Arabia has taken important steps to build effective and flexible food systems
Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli, reiterated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken important steps towards consolidating effective and flexible national food systems and based its vision on building a sustainable agricultural sector that contributes to achieving food and water security, as well as economic, social and environmental development.
During his participation in the Food Systems Summit, which was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the minister explained that the Kingdom has been working extensively to enhance the sustainability of natural resources, improve consumption, to reduce losses and waste by 50% by 2030, and build a strategy for responsible agricultural investment abroad, citing the Kingdom’s achievement to increase lending from the Agricultural Development Fund by more than 400% in 2020, and aims to hit a $1 billion target of agricultural loans, in addition to developing agricultural and marketing services, and improving agricultural and food production.
The minister said these steps contributed to achieving high rates of self-sufficiency for many strategic food commodities in the local markets, as the Kingdom, through its global, regional, and local partnerships has adopted different means of technologies and innovations that have raised the operational efficiency and productivity of local agricultural and food systems at the level of large and small producers and distributors, at low costs and ease of implementation with high efficiency, in addition to launching an ambitious rural development program that had a positive impact in supporting and empowering youth and women in agricultural work.
He underlined the need to build flexible and sustainable food systems at the local and international levels that ensure the availability of healthy and safe food for all segments of society, and to ensure the availability of all possible tools and measures that help achieve the goals of sustainable development in 2030, stressing the Kingdom’s keenness to support the UN efforts to rebuild global food systems, to achieve food security and combat hunger and poverty across the world.
Source: SPA
Saudi Arabia’s Agricultural Development Fund finances projects valued at $480 million
- February 23, 2021
- 5:14 am
Saudi Arabia’s Agricultural Development Fund finances projects valued at $480 million
Saudi Arabia’s Agricultural Development Fund approved funds worth SR1.8 billion ($480 million) to support different agricultural projects in the Kingdom since the beginning of the year, Argaam reported citing an official statement.
At a recent G20 meeting in Italy, Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdul Rahman Al-Fadhli said “the Kingdom has allocated SR12 billion to support small farmers”.
The minister noted that agricultural investments in Saudi Arabia, funded by the Agricultural Development Fund, have grown over the past four years by about 400 percent, which has contributed to building a resilient and sustainable food system.
The Kingdom has turned to modern technical methods in the field of agricultural extension, with the aim of reaching the largest segment of farmers in a faster and more efficient manner, the minister said.
Source: Arab News
