Saudi Gazette report

Riyadh — Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdul Rahman Al-Fadli said the approval of the food security strategy and the flour mills regulation by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday has materialized after several-year-long studies that focused on diagnosing the current situation and laying down mechanism to carry out corrective plans.

The strategy includes a detailed analysis of the food security system in the Kingdom.

It also focuses on providing sufficient quantities of flour in the market.

The strategy strives to achieve five major goals: Achieving a system for sustainable local food production, achieving diversity and stability for external sources of food, ensuring safe and nutritional food, encouraging healthy and balanced nutritional habits and building preparedness to overcome food security hazards.

Fadli said the flour mills regulation is complementary to the arrangements for the privatization of the flour mill sector in the Kingdom so as to develop this industry and enhance competition to improve flour quality.

Governor of the Grain Silos Corporation Ahmed Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Faris said the flour mills regulation aims at monitoring the production of flour mills as well as organizing and supervising them after privatization.

He said the regulation has restricted the setting up of flour mills or their operation to share holding companies that have obtained the necessary licenses.

The General Organization for Grains has been authorized to supervise the activities of flour mills.