Dr. Saud bin Hamoud al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources, emphasized the need to expand Oman’s agriculture and water resources sectors during the opening of the 2024 Food Security Laboratory, as reported by Muscat Daily. The event, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources (MAFWR), in partnership with the Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit, National Programme for Investment and Export Development (Nazdar), and the private sector, focused on strengthening food security efforts in line with Oman Vision 2040.
Dr. Habsi outlined the laboratory’s objectives, including boosting local and foreign investment in food security, fostering digital transformation for sustainable agriculture, and addressing challenges to improve institutional efficiency. He also highlighted the need for creating new investment opportunities and establishing nurseries in every governorate to reduce import dependency and meet local demand.
Hamoud bin Hamad al Rashidi, head of the lab’s technical team, explained the initiative’s focus on five key pillars. These include:
- Digital transformation: launching the Tharwat platform and Silal app with ten electronic services.
- Strategic planning: advancing the 2025 strategic plan to enhance project goals.
- Investment: supporting investment projects through strategic programs.
- Enablers: facilitating investments in the food security sector.
- Local content: increasing economic returns by creating value chain opportunities and empowering local suppliers and SMEs.
A notable initiative is the import substitution plan, aimed at increasing self-sufficiency in key goods to 75%.
Dr. Yousef bin Mohammed al Riyami, Director General of the National Centre for Statistics and Information, reported that household food consumption in Oman totaled RO3 billion in 2023, with Omanis spending an average of RO757 per month and expatriates RO361. He also noted that 39,655 Omanis are engaged in farming and animal husbandry, and 22,485 are employed in fishing and aquaculture. Food imports make up 12.8% of total imports.
Oman’s self-sufficiency rates in 2023 include: 158% for fish, 97% for dates, 92% for milk, 83% for tomatoes, 68% for eggs, 60% for poultry, and lower percentages for other products like red meat, watermelons, and onions.
