THAMRAIT: Omani Food Investment Holding Company (OFIHC) on Wednesday celebrated the laying of the foundation stone for Al Bashayer Meat Company in the Wilayat of Thamrait in the Governorate of Dhofar. It is one of the largest projects in the region. The actual production is expected to begin in January 2020. The ceremony was presided over by Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan al Busaidy, Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar, in the presence of Dr Fuad bin Jaafar al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, and others.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sajwani said that the project will contribute to the Sultanate’s need for high quality red meat, and is 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 Thamrait and neighbouring 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 increase self-sufficiency of these commodities to more than 80 per cent with other projects, taking into account the geographical distribution of this 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 government investment and the Arab Authority for Investment and Agricultural Development is the first integrated red meat project in the Arab region with a capital of RO 37 million. He said that the project will generate around 500 jobs for Omani youth at 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.
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 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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