"The strategic plan of the ministry is aimed at satisfying the rising local demand for food commodities and for achieving food security in its wider concept," he said.
The minister pointed out that the ministry had no plans for expanding the cultivation of rice in Al-Ahsa region or anywhere else. "It is not possible for us to consider growing rice simply because it is not suitable, as it consumes large quantities of water," he said.
Balghunaim revealed that his ministry was coordinating with the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) to import livestock via air transport in order to boost supply in the local market.
He said the ministry had stopped the agricultural grants for 10 years starting 2010 so as to give enough time for the completion of studies concerning the formation of a national water strategy.
"The ministry has continued the agricultural development through renting of land to projects that do not need large quantities of water such as poultry, beehives and veterinary hospitals and clinics," he said.
Balghunaim justified the high prices of poultry products to the skyrocketing prices of fodder, the increasing salaries of manpower and the high expenses of the construction of slaughterhouses.
"We will support the poultry projects and remove any obstacles facing them," he reiterated.
The minister said investments in the sector of agriculture had increased by 5.2 percent from SR23.3 billion during the fifth Five-Year Development Plan to SR24.5 billion during the sixth Five-Year Development Plan.
He expected the investments to increase by 6.6 percent during the ninth Five-Year Development Plan 2010-2014.
The minister denied allegations the ministry was wasting the underground water and said, on the contrary, the ministry made strenuous efforts to rationalize the use of water in agriculture and upgrade the quality of irrigation through the use of technology and modern agricultural methods.
Balghunaim categorically denied claims that the sheep quarantine in Jeddah had failed to discover that about 100,000 heads of sheep that were brought to be sold during the past Haj season had infectious diseases. "This is not at all true. We turn back any shipment of sheep with contagious diseases," he said.
