Muscat – A total of 102 investment projects worth RO1.3bn have been identified for implementation by the private sector, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR).

In cooperation with the Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit and the National Programme for Investment and Exports Development (Nazdahir), MAFWR launched a series of meetings to tackle the challenges of food security projects in the sultanate on Monday at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC).

The meeting on Monday was held under the auspices of H E Dr Khalfan bin Saeed al Shuaili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning.

Ahmed Saleh al Harthi, Director of the Office of Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-Up Unit in MAFWR, said, “Most of the 102 investment projects identified will be implemented through private sector investments in the coming period. These projects will represent an addition to the domestic product and raise the level of self-sufficiency and food security upon completion.”

According to Harthi, the meetings aimed to shed light on the most important challenges faced by food security projects in the sultanate and to find a mechanism to prevent and reduce the impact of these challenges on future projects.

Mohammed bin Saud al Raisi, Supervisor of Food Security Department of Nazdahir, said, “The meetings will help develop sustainable solutions for future projects, identify new investment opportunities, develop sustainable solutions to the general challenges of projects, and discuss new investments.”

Yousuf bin Mohammed bin Thani al Riyami, Director General of Directorate General of National Statistics at National Centre for Statistics and Information, informed that the total annual food consumption cost of 2021 was RO2.7bn and inflation rate of foodstuff is five per cent.

The value of food imports in 2021 amounted to RO1.9bn, led by cereals and cereal products, while the value of food exports was RO600mn, led by fish and fish products.