Khaberni - The Assistant Secretary-General for Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, Qusai Bani Mustafa, met with the President of the Coalition of Dairy Farmers Cooperative Agricultural Association Engineer Laith Al-Haj, to discuss the challenges faced by the dairy farming sector in the kingdom, amidst security developments in the region and their impact on supply chains.
The meeting was attended by the Director of Inventory Management at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply Engineer Abdullah Al-Manaseer, the Secretary of the Association Majid Alian, and the Association member Kefah Al-Omaireh.
Al-Haj stated that the dairy farming sector is facing a real crisis due to supply chain disruptions and delayed arrival of feed shipments, along with unprecedented price hikes, noting that the price of corn has risen from 220 to 270 dinars per ton, in addition to its monopolization by some traders.
He added that the dairy farming sector is one of the fundamental pillars of national food security, as it mainly supports the dairy industry in the kingdom, and it supplies the local market with fresh milk daily. He explained that feed costs make up about 70% of the milk production cost, making any shortage in its availability or price increase a significant burden on farmers.
Al-Haj warned that the continuation of this crisis without rapid intervention could lead to a decrease in local milk production and an increase in its prices in the market, which will reflect on the availability of dairy products and the stability of their prices for the citizens.
He called for providing the strategic feed stock for dairy farmers and making barley and corn available at subsidized prices during the crisis period, noting that there is a shortage estimated at about 15,000 tons of feeds, at a rate of 7,500 tons per month, until the arrival of the first expected corn ship in mid-May.
For his part, Bani Mustafa confirmed that the kingdom possesses a safe strategic stock of barley sufficient for comfortable periods, noting that the relevant authorities are monitoring the stock levels and market movements daily to ensure stable supplies in the local market.
He explained that the possibility of providing barley to dairy farmers as an alternative to corn until the arrival of the corn ships in mid-May will be studied, noting that the meeting's minutes will be submitted to the Minister of Industry and Trade for making an appropriate decision at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Al-Manaseer confirmed the availability of a strategic barley stock, noting that should the decision be made to distribute it to dairy farmers, it will be based on the feed card approved by the Ministry of Agriculture.
