JEDDAH, 16 February 2005 — Qasim Governor Prince Faisal ibn Bandar yesterday laid the foundation stone for a poultry farm project at the Qasim Agricultural Company. Abdul Mohsen Al-Muzaini, director general of QAC, said his company would produce 60,000 tons of poultry annually in the first phase. At present Saudi Arabia produces 452,905 tons of poultry. With a per capita consumption of 38 kilograms, Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest importer of broiler chicken. The governor also opened the company’s date palm expansion project, the Saudi Press Agency said.