Bahrain

In a move to bolster Bahrain’s agri-food sector and address food security challenges, Mumtalakat, the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, yesterday announced the establishment of the Bahrain Food Holding Company.

Tanmiah operates 93 farms as well as 6 hatcheries, 2 feed mills, 4 slaughterhouses, 3 food processing plants, and 13 dry and cold storage facilities located in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE.

Little of the 5 million acres [2.02 million hectares] that Sudan's agriculture ministry estimates are in foreign hands—perhaps less than 1 in 20 acres—has been cultivated.

With the passing of a law in 2012 opening the door to foreign investment in farmland in Turkey, Gulf countries are increasing their investments in agriculture and livestock, as they aim to meet their homeland's food needs.

The Philippine Embassy’s agricultural counsellor is looking at working on an agreement in the area of food security with the UAE government

With massive areas of arable land and over 130 million heads of livestock, Sudan is receiving huge investments in its agriculture sector from Gulf states looking to address the food security problem

With the huge export potentials of banana, RP Bahrain Harvest Inc. is putting up a plantation in the Philippines with an initial investment of P85 million.

Shaikh Khalid said that the Arab countries have a serious desire to join the African market and benefit from the natural resources ready for investment, particularly in the agricultural field.

The Kingdom of Bahrain is seeking to conclude an agreement with the African Union Commission paving the way for the GCC bloc to ensure the food security by utilising the natural resources rich African continent.

At least 100 farmers joined a protest in front of the Department of Agriculture in Quezon City led by the members of the Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) in the Philippines such as the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), AMIHAN (National Federation of Peasant Women), UMA (Union of Agricultural Workers), and the PAMALAKAYA (National Federation of Small Fisherfolks of the Philippines). Also present is the Anakpawis partylist and the National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates (NNARA)-Youth.

Legislator calls for an investigation, in aid of legislation, into the $50-million joint-venture deal between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the AMA Group Holdings to operate a 10,000-hectare agricultural farm in Mindanao.

“This so-called joint venture smacks of land-grabbing and conflict of interest on the part of President Aquino’s political lieutenant in the Gulf.” – Danilo Ramos, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas