Plans have been announced to set up a facility to produce 36,000 high-quality Arabian lambs a year for the Bahrain market, according to Trade Arabia News Service.
A group of businessmen, led by Nass Corporation vice-chairman Samir Nass, have begun talks with the authorities to identify land and other infrastructure required, the report said.
The businessmen plan to set up a facility to produce at least 3,000 head of Arabian lamb and target a niche category in the Bahraini market.
The idea is to try and reduce some dependence on imported meat. Negotiations are also taking place with an Australian company which would collaborate in the project.
The aim is to use only Bahraini animal embryos to produce top quality local Arabian meat, the report quoted Nass Corporation vice-chairman Samir Nass saying.
He added the businessmen had no intention to compete with Australian, Indian and Pakistani mutton already available in the market.
The business owners are looking at catering to the upper middle class and upper class category who will buy pay more for quality meat. The lamb produced is aimed at complementing the local lamb and sheep already available in the market.
"Bahrain currently imports between 95 and 97% of its bread basket and a large portion of it is meat," he said.
Bahrain imports around 700,000 sheep and cattle a year.
The plan for the new facility comes as Bahrain unveiled plans to stabilise food security, including relying on local production of strategic items and slash the deficit in food imports.
Efforts will also be stepped up to encourage agricultural investment and optimise the role of the private sector.
The government has also pledged to preserve natural resources for present and future generations and small farmers and give animal breeders aid to promote the quality of their products. – Source: TradeArabia News Service