Friday 19 / April / 2024
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman receives the first shipment of wheat directly from Australian farmers. This remarkable step came as a result of the challenges of supply chains and the difficulty of obtaining foodstuffs in general and wheat in particular.
The Oman Flour Mills Company has received 34,728 metric tons of Australian wheat. This was purchased through a subsidiary of the Oman Flour Mills Group as part of a project to buy wheat directly from Australian farmers.
Dr. Saud bin Hamoud Al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, sponsored the reception of the first wheat shipment purchased from farmers in Australia at Port Sultan Qaboos today in the presence of Mark Lawrence Donovan, Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Yemen.
"As a result of the challenges of supply chains and the difficulty of obtaining foodstuffs in general and wheat in particular, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, in cooperation with government agencies and the private sector, searched for various sources to supply wheat, culminating in importing it from Asian and Latin American countries, and importing a group of shipments from the centre Storage in Turkey, which was carried out under the supervision of the United Nations", His Excellency said.
His Excellency praised the efforts made by the Oman Flour Mills Company to reach an advanced stage in the field of contract farming by contracting with farmers in Australia such as the Farmers Association in Australia, where it was agreed to obtain a group of shipments to the Omani markets, noting that the quantity received from Australian wheat today is the first shipment received from Australian farmers directly, which is a good and distinct step in the field of food security.
With regard to the local product, His Excellency explained that large areas have been allocated in some governorates, such as Al Dhahirah and the Najd region, where it is expected that the production of wheat in the Sultanate of Oman will double during the coming period, especially since farmers have been provided with harvesters that help them in the production process.
“While the company committed itself to purchasing all wheat produced from farmers, which enhances production and helps the government in the process of expanding wheat production from Omani farms, indicating that there is an expansion plan to establish silos in the governorates of Muscat and Dhofar”, he said
His Excellency Dr. Saud bin Hamoud Al Habsi explained that the Sultanate of Oman’s annual need for wheat amounts to 350 thousand tons, and the quantities stored are much more than that, pointing out that the government’s plan in the field of grain at the present time is represented in the process of purchasing, storing and concluding partnerships in this field.
The CEO of Oman Mills Haitham bin Muhammad Al Fannah indicated that Oman Mills is moving forward with investing in strategic assets across the grain value chain, which will ensure that the Sultanate of Oman obtains grain at competitive prices.
For his part, Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Abri, CEO of ASYAD Ports Company, explained that receiving the Australian wheat shipment at Sultan Qaboos Port confirms the group's role in linking local markets with global markets through direct sea lines and integrated logistical solutions, stressing that the port continues to receive many ships from of this kind.
