RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has reached a 63 percent self-sufficiency rate in the value-added agriculture sector following the drive of the state-run Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, also known as Reef, to ensure food security in the Kingdom.
The program, introduced in 2019 to boost the processing and marketing of food produce, has increased and diversified the Kingdom’s agricultural production.
Besides supporting 63,000 agricultural projects in the Kingdom, the initiative has helped manage the local markets and lessen the impact of fluctuations in food prices worldwide.
According to an infographic released by Reef on Wednesday, the Kingdom’s coffee industry achieved a self-sufficiency rate of 16 percent, producing 1,009 tons of coffee in 2023. The goal is to reach 7,000 tons by 2026.
Fruits reached a self-sufficiency rate of 22 percent, producing 90,000 tons this year. Reef expects food production to reach 305,000 tons in 2026.
Rose and aromatic plants realized 33 percent self-sufficiency as Reef planted 651 million roses. It expects to grow 2 billion such plants in 2026.
The honey industry accomplished a self-sufficiency rate of 49 percent, with an output of 3.75 million tons in 2023 and an anticipated increase to 7.5 million tons in 2026.
Rain-fed crops, or the produce that depends on rainfall, attained 13 percent self-sufficiency, cultivating 27,000 tons this year. Its yield should touch 195,000 tons in 2026.
Reef has been instrumental in achieving food security and self-sufficiency for various agricultural goods in the Kingdom, with output totaling 350.54 million tons this year.
Its inclusive programs offer assistance for 70 other goods, all of which aid small-scale farmers in raising their income and living standards by fostering social stability and opening up job opportunities.
Reef also backed conservation initiatives for the environment and natural resources, and it plans to plant 18 million seedlings throughout a region larger than 150,000 hectares by the end of this year.
The state-run body has also diversified its scope by increasing the income of farming families by attracting tourists and ecological enthusiasts to local cultivations and providing tourist outlets to sell farmers’ products.
