PAAAFR to roll out comprehensive initiative to develop food security
KD 28.5m allotted for afforestation efforts in two areas
KUWAIT CITY, Sept 1: The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) has said it is scheduled to begin rolling out a comprehensive initiative to develop the food security of the country in all its aspects, from sustainable production to general enhancement of the State’s food security.
PAAAFR has submitted its report on this matter to the National Assembly for evaluation, in which it mentioned that the initiative comes from the government’s policy that had successfully placed the country on top in the Arab region in terms of food security in 2014 and again in 2017.
The report highlighted PAAAFR’s prioritization of food security and added, there are several meetings held between PAAAFR and concerned international organizations including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to benefit from experiences in the development of sustainable food sources.
The food security relies on three main aspects as explained in the report – livestock, fishery department and agriculture – and only through the development of these sectors can the state raise the level of food security. With regards to livestock and fish, the report stated that animal produce is by far the most important sector due to its large social and financial impact, considering this sector produces 48% of the total food needs of the country.
Some of the projects listed for this sector are the Kabad agricultural area dedicated to the care of production of sheep and livestock. The project will include 5,863 plots of land over a 25 million square meter area for the production of red meat. The area will enjoy all necessary infrastructure and facilities to streamline the production.
In parallel, another project at the Al-Abdali farming area will witness the construction of over 500 farms, each on a 50,000 square meter land, 1,000 of which will be dedicated to livestock fattening while the rest will be to produce fodder. The report said these projects, when in full capacity will be able to produce, approximately between 3,000 and 3,500 tons of red meat every year, effectively contributing to food sustainability.
In another development, Head of PAAAFR Ghanim Al-Sanad disclosed the allocation of KD 28.5 million for afforestation efforts in the Sabah Al-Ahmed city, Khairan residential area in the surrounding areas which is scheduled to be complete within 5 years.
Al-Sanad added this was prompted by a governmental directive issued in early August to PAAAFR to carry out afforestation. The Ministry of Finance recently approved the budget for this purpose which is based on the PAAAFR plans and includes allocating a smaller percentage of the budget to the beautification department, while the bulk is allocated for general afforestation efforts. Plans also touched on the type of trees, prioritizing sustainability, growth and diversification in a desert climate. As for irrigation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works, the flow of water will come through the Sabah Al-Ahmed and Al-Khairan areas, and plants will be irrigated with treated water