Thumrait: The Omani Food Investment Holding Company (OFIHC) celebrated today the laying of the cornerstone of the Al Bashayer Meat Company in the Wilayat of Thumrait in the Governorate of Dhofar. It is one of the largest projects in the region after its completion. The actual production is expected to begin in January 2020.
The ceremony was pratronized by Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan al- Busaidi, Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar in the presence of Dr. Fu’ad bin Ja’afar al- Sagwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, and a number of some honorable members of the State Council, members of Majlis A’Shura, officials, sheiks and dignitaries in Governorate of Dhofar.
The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries said in a statement that the project will contribute to the provision of large quantities of the Sultanate's needs for high quality red meat, one of the series of projects for food production, which will contribute to economic diversification and meet the requirements of food security in the Sultanate, in addition to providing employment opportunities, especially for the citizens of the Wilayat of Thumrait and neighboring wilayats.
Abdul Salam bin Nasser al- Kharousi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Omani Food Investment Holding Company, said that the idea of food security projects was part of the efforts of the Sultanate to complete this system in order to increase the self-sufficiency ratio of these commodities to more than 80% with other projects, taking into account the geographical distribution of these types of projects in the governorates of the Sultanate.
He added that Al Bashayer Meat Company implemented by the Omani Food Investment Company in cooperation with the government investment funds and the Arab Authority for Investment and Agricultural Development is the first integrated red meat project in the Arab region with a total area of 9 km2 with a capital of RO37 million.
He explained that the project will create about 500 work opportunities for a group of Omani youth at the various stages of the project, in addition to creating investment opportunities for small and medium enterprises in various fields including supply, maintenance, transport and supply of materials used in the production process.
Eng Saleh bin Mohammed al Shanfari, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Food Investment Holding Company, said that the Al Bashayer Meat Company is one of the largest food production projects in the Arab world. It is a continuation of the Omani food security projects in the Sultanate, which promotes self-sufficiency in meat products and derivatives, in addition to enhancing the added value of these productive projects at all levels in the Sultanate, thus contributing to the advancement of food industries in the Sultanate and achieving food security.
The ceremony included a presentation by Dr. Ghaleb bin Said al- Saeedi, Director General of the company, which dealt with the components of the project which contains a veterinary quarry, animal husbandry pens, advanced slaughterhouse, two plants for product manufacturing and utilization of slaughtering wastes, as well as animal pens. --ONA
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