News in Brief
‘Will overcome obstacles’:
Last week, the Minister of Information and State Minister for Youth Affairs Abdul Rahman Al-Mutairi met with the President of the Union of Fresh Dairy Producers Abdul Hakim Al-Ahmad and the President of the Kuwait Fishermen Union Zahir Al-Soyyan. He was given details about the most prominent obstacles facing the dairy farms and the fishermen, reports Al-Qabas daily.
They discussed a number of important issues related to the two unions in which Minister Al-Mutairi expressed interest, in addition to the ideas, projects and visions that were proposed to serve the workers in the dairy sector and the fishermen. The idea of including the heads of the relevant unions in the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) was raised.
They also discussed increasing the support provided by PAAAFR to fresh dairy and fishermen unions with the aim of developing those sectors that serve the local markets and achieve necessary food security, especially during times of crises and emergencies similar to the COVID-19 crisis.
In this regard, Minister Al-Mutairi expressed his understanding about the demands of the two unions and their workers, and promised to study those demands and work on overcoming all the obstacles.
Abdul Hakim Al-Ahmad said the prices of green fodder increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in an excessive manner for the owners of cattle and dairy farms and sheep breeders, which makes it difficult for them to cover their monthly expenses.
He stated that Minister Al-Mutairi was informed about the unions’ efforts during the current period, as the Union of Fresh Dairy Producers covers about 18 percent of the local market needs, and the Kuwait Fishermen Union covered about 20-25 percent of the market needs, as well as the livestock breeders cover about ten percent of the market needs.