Bahrain has been able to secure an advanced ranking in the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) despite the fact that 90 per cent of its consumed food is imported, a top official said.

“Bahrain imports 90pc of its foodstuff. However, despite this challenge, it ranks 38th out of 113 countries globally on the Global Food Security Index,” Bahrain Food Holding Company (Ghitha) board chairman Basim Mohamed Al Saie said.

He was speaking at a panel discussion themed ‘Food Security and Water Resources’, which was organised by the Shura Council secretariat general in co-operation with Bahrain Institute for Political Development.

Mr Al Saie explained that Ghitha serves as a complementary, stimulating, and accelerating partner to the private sector – not a competitor. “Its aim is to speed up, expand, and develop initiatives aimed at strengthening national food security and finding solutions to the challenges facing the sector,” he said.

“The company acts as a link between the national assets that together form an integrated and sustainable food system, namely Bahrain Flour Mills Company, General Poultry Company, Delmon Poultry Company, and Bahrain Agriculture Development Company,” he added.

“Bahrain Flour Mills Company is preparing to launch a strategic expansion project in the logistics zone, under a land lease agreement with the Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry for the new mills site. The new site will be designed to increase wheat storage capacity to six months, with the project expected to take around four to five years to complete,” Mr Al Saie noted.

“The General Poultry Company currently meets 44pc of local market demand, and has launched its second expansion project to raise this share to 70pc. Meanwhile, Delmon Poultry Company covers between 18pc and 20pc of the market needs and has considerable room for expansion to meet growing demand,” he pointed out.

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