Muscat – To support social security families and also increase poultry and poultry products output in the sultanate, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources will set up ten farms in North Sharqiyah.

Ahmed bin Saleh al Hashmi, director of Department of Agricultural Development and Water Resources in the governorate, said, “The Agricultural and Fisheries Development Fund will finance the construction of ten poultry farms in North Sharqiyah.”

According to Hashmi, the project targets social security and low-income families who are interested in poultry farming. Ten families have been selected to operate the modern farms.

“The project also aims to produce table eggs and meet demand in local markets in North Sharqiyah. The ministry has identified five sites in Wadi Bani Khalid and five more in other wilayats. The project will be completed within six months,” Hashmi said.

The sultanate has achieved 59 per cent self-sufficiency in the production of poultry and eggs, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information.

According to its statistics, the local production of table eggs was 26,180 tonnes in 2020, accounting for 59 per cent of market demand.

The sultanate imported 25,748 tonnes of table eggs, and exported 7,256 tonnes. Production of table eggs is expected to increase following several new projects starting operations, including one in Al Sinaina, which will have an annual production capacity of 200mn eggs.