Food security projects hailed
MUSCAT: The Steering Committee of the Manufacturing Sector, part of the initiatives of the National Programme for Enhancing Economic Diversification, “Tanfeedh,” held a meeting under the chairmanship of Dr Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, in the presence of members and the Implementation and Follow-up Support Unit.
The committee praised the developments in the food security projects. RO 132 million projects have been signed for financing three projects: Osool for the production of fertilised eggs, the Mazoon dairy, Al Namma for poultry production, in addition to the agreement for the use of two land plots for Al Namma project. Production is expected to start in projects of Al Namma, Mazoon and Osool by 2018. These projects are located in the Governorates of Al Dhahirah, Al Buraimi, and Al Wusta, with plans of expansion in other governorates in the future.
The Sultanate is working within the initiatives of the manufacturing sector on a number of food security projects aimed at filling the deficit of its needs in the coming years. The Sultanate currently produces 30 per cent of its poultry needs.
Within the framework of the sector’s initiatives, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Sohar University will sign an agreement on the project of designing the production of molds and the establishment of an ad- vanced manufacturing centre, which aims to establish a model research centre for manufacturing industries in the Sultanate to develop innovation and progress in the sector.
The two sides signed a cooperation programme in the same subject last April.
The committee discussed the project on stone waterproofing, and reviewed details of its completion, as well as some of the challenges facing the progress of the project, including the shipment of Bituminous membranes. Currently, the Sultan Qaboos Port is being used to ship this material through small vessels.
As the port being transformed into a tourist port, the Government, represented by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, is currently considering some options to transport the shipment of this material to another port, including Sohar Port.