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Behar to export Omani fish to 13 countries

19 Apr 2021 By MOHAMMED TAHA

In a move to support the fish sector and increase the national income, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources is seeking to take advantage of Behar platform to promote Omani fish in 13 countries around the world.

Behar is one of the first e-platforms to be selected by Oman Technology Fund (OTF) – a specialised overnment-backed fund that invests in IT and innovative startups – for funding support from an endowment of RO1mn earmarked for Omani entrepreneurial initiatives arising out of the COVID-19 crisis.

Khalid bin Muhammad al Balushi, director of the Central Wholesale Market for Fish, said, “Behar will make the sultanate a destination and a global platform for selling fish. The platform has conducted international sales trials with 13 countries, which confirms the confidence these countries have in the quality of Omani fish. The platform will allow international traders to buy Omani fish online with multiple options such as choosing a means of transportation (land, air or sea) to their country. It will also allow purchasing through the platform and choosing the value added services like packaging, cutting and freezing. 

“This will also open up real opportunities for Omani youth to work in the fishery sector.” 

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Mohammed Mansoor al Housseini, founding partner of Behar, said, “We established the platform on March 28, 2020. Over 170 fishing firms and 5,160 merchants engaged in fishing have registered with us. We’ve had more than 25,000 visitors to the platform and 14 international transactions in the last eight months.

“The platform registered sales worth RO2.311mn in about 47,986 transactions, while the number of visitors to the platform since its launch reached 40,000. We have arranged to export to several countries, including Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Italy and are currently looking at new foreign markets,” Housseini added.

 

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