Saudi mulls agri firms in Sudan

Jeddah / TNS

The Ministry of Environment, Water
and Agriculture is planning to establish five agricultural companies in Sudan
that specialize in fish farming, grain and fodder trade, animal farming and agricultural production.
Sudan has allocated around one million acres for Saudi investment next to the Atbara Agricultural River, according to an executive agreement between the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the Ministry of Water and Electric Resources in Sudan.
This land will be developed according to the ministry’s plans, and 88 percent of its total production will be sent to Saudi Arabia, in addition to exempting these products from taxes and custom’s fees, while 15 percent will be allocated to Sudan in exchange for the use of their land, water, energy and other resources.
As for agricultural investment in Egypt, a Saudi delegation to the country
suggested four recommendations with regards to agricultural investment opportunities. Official Saudi bodies have been contacted about Egypt’s needs to import in order to meet its needs for foodstuffs and grains. The ministry stated that Egypt shouldn’t be one of the countries welcoming agricultural investment for the Saudi government, because “Egyptian agricultural products don’t meet the local consumption needs.”
The ministry recommended coordination between the country and the Saudi private sector that wishes to invest in Egypt, and recommended that they explore the possibility of establishing a Saudi investment company owned by the state that will enter into a partnership with a number of qualified Saudi companies, which specialize in investments that are economically feasible in Egypt.
The ministry’s vision for agricultural investment in Africa stipulates that there must be an agreement with countries that enjoy fish, animal and agricultural assets on the condition that part of the production should be sent to Saudi Arabia and part to the host country. The ministry said the five companies that will develop the land abroad will specialize in animal production and fish farming, and develop the infrastructure needed.
The Ministry of Agriculture intends to set up a Saudi company that specializes in fodder and grain trade and contributes to establishing infrastructure and logistics related to exporting grain, fodder, meat and fish to Saudi Arabia.