Bahrain efforts geared toward achieving sustainable local food security: Deputy Premier

TDT | Manama                  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com  

Bahrain will keep working to attain high levels of sustainable food security in order to ensure the sufficiency of local food products and meet the consumers’ needs.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, said this will raise the rate of food security, in line with the goals of the comprehensive development march spearheaded by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed that all of the government’s initiatives, launched by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, are geared toward promoting domestic food security in a way that lessens reliance on imports to meet local food needs.

This is done by empowering the private sector to fulfill its role in this regard in partnership with the public sector, he added. Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla made the statements while patronising yesterday the inauguration ceremony of the new mechanised farms of the General Poultry Company (GPC).

The leading supplier of locally produced fresh table eggs in Bahrain since 1977, GPC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mumtalakat Bahrain, the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund. Present in the ceremony were Municipalities’ Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, officials, businessmen and guests.

Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla affirmed that food security is among the priorities of the Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects, noting that it is following up on its progress and initiatives, in coordination with the Ministry of Municipalities’ Affairs and Agriculture, especially regarding the allocation of land necessary to engage in investment activities related to animal, plant and fish food security.

The Deputy Prime Minister expressed thanks and appreciation to General Poultry Company’s Board of Directors’ the Chairman and members, as well as its executive management and workers for the tremendous efforts they are exerting to enhance the Kingdom’s food security and develop the made-in-Bahrain fresh table egg production.