The head of the national agricultural committee at the Saudi Council of Chambers and Industry (SCCI) said there will soon be a meeting between an American official and representatives of the National Center for Palm and Dates in the Kingdom, to explore ways to implement a food exchange program between the two countries, with the aim of exchanging dates for wheat and other food products needed by the Kingdom.
The US official praised the impressive production of dates in Saudi Arabia. Agricultural exports from the US to Saudi Arabia are valued at $ 1.3 billion every year. He said this amount should be utilized by bartering American agricultural exports with Saudi date products.
The official said that establishing food and agricultural product exchange will help meet the Kingdom’s needs for basic products, such as corn and wheat.
He said Saudi Arabia will reap huge benefits from the project, especially as it will stop producing wheat in 2016 as a measure to preserve underground water.
Instead, it will begin importing basic products like wheat and barley from other countries.
Referring to the King Abdullah Initiative for Agricultural Investment and the Agricultural Development Fund, the official said the programs were playing a major role in achieving food security.
The Kingdom needs three billion tons of wheat every year. It imports two million tons and grows one million on its soil. Saudi Arabia exports certain foodstuffs to the US, including farmed shrimp.
US-Saudi barter trade urged to ensure food security
