RIYADH —Saudi Arabia recorded significant increase in self-sufficiency ratios for several food products during the year 2004 compared with the year 2023.

According to the 2024 Food Security Statistics publication issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), dates recorded the highest self-sufficiency rate at 121 percent among fruits, followed by figs at 99 percent. Vegetables also showed high self-sufficiency, with eggplant at 105 percent, okra at 102 percent, cucumbers at 101 percent, and zucchini at 100 percent. Among animal products, the self-sufficiency rate reached 149 percent for shrimp, 131 percent for dairy products, and 103 percent for table eggs.

There have been notable increases in self-sufficiency rates from 2023 to 2024 for certain food products. These included onions, which rose by 41.2 percent, tomatoes by 9.2 percent, fish by 8.2 percent, and poultry by 1.4 percent.

In 2024, the per capita share of total available for consumption of rice was the highest among plant products in the Kingdom, reaching 52.1 kg per year, followed by dates at 35.8 kg per year. For vegetables, the annual per capita share from the total available was 20.50 kg for onions and 19.6 kg for tomatoes. As for animal products, annual per capita consumption reached 70.3 liters of milk, 46.9 kg of poultry, and 235 eggs.

The Food Security Statistics publication is based on the results of field surveys conducted by GASTAT, as well as register-based data from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the General Food Security Authority, and the Agricultural Development Fund.

© Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).