Many words exist in every language of the world that have specific meanings but when it comes to their practical implementation in real life, those words become meaningless.
When we utter the word “security,” we automatically think about safety and peace. Similarly, when we use the word “agriculture,” our mind is instantly drawn to water, greenery, forestry and agricultural products.
But these words become ambiguous when talk about the Ministry of Agriculture in our country. There are many questions regarding the performance of this ministry. It goes without saying that the agriculture sector is governed by two important factors: Availability of abundant water resources and self-sufficiency. You cannot have one without the other. The problem with this ministry’s overall performance is that we don’t see any tangible outcomes on the ground. When we talk to them about their shortcomings, their answer is always ready: There is not enough water.
Actually, this answer is very perplexing. It makes us wonder whether is it really the actual cause or should the poor management be blamed for the poor performance of this sector.
However, we cannot deny that the agricultural sector in Saudi Arabia has progressed but the credit of those achievements could not be given to the ministry. The credit goes to the private sector and individuals’ initiatives. It looks as if the ministry is hiding itself behind a black screen, which makes it impossible for us to see clearly what goes on inside. Do they have short-term or long-term strategic plans?
What is the percentage of their contribution to the national economy? Who is getting loans and why?
We know very well that production of the state-financed agricultural projects doesn’t meet local demand; hence there is no added value from the high consumption of water. This necessitates that the ministry should look for alternatives. We are not fond of criticizing the ministry for the sake of criticism, but we are trying to diagnose the situation and find solutions.
However, in order to find a solution to the problems we should be aware of the inside working of the ministry.
We want to see it play its role in cultivating whatever spaces and areas are available to increase local agricultural products instead of this chronic dependence on foreign imports.
