DAMMAM — Local bakeries have been found using low-quality flour imported from abroad, according to officials at the Council of Saudi Chambers. Fahd Al-Salman, Chairman of the National Committee for Bakeries at the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said his committee has complained to the authorities about the problem and called for proper action to deal with the situation, press reports said on Friday. Al-Salman said the Grain Silos and Flour Mills Organization (GSFMO) should allow bakery owners a say in the purchase of wheat from import markets abroad. He, however, said that his committee has not yet received any reply from the organization to a letter sent by it to this effect. Established by a royal decree in 1972, the GSFMO is the sole authority responsible for distributing flour to bakeries in the country. Al-Salman said the bakery owners have the capability and expertise to determine the quality of wheat. He considers wheat grown in the Kingdom to be among the best all over the world because it has a high content of protein compared with imported wheat. He ruled out improper storage as a factor that has affected the quality of imported wheat. Al-Salman claimed that the quality of the grain depends on the nature of soil where the wheat is grown. “This determines the quality of wheat grown in Saudi Arabia, too,” said the chamber official. Al-Salman said nearly 80 percent of wheat used in Saudi bakeries is imported from foreign countries including Russia and Canada. He said the quality of wheat imported from the same country differs time to time. Wheat is one of the most important staple grains in Saudi Arabia where most of it is consumed in the form of pita bread and other types of European bread such as French baguettes, burger buns, and toast. Wheat production growth in the Kingdom is expected to decline to 669,900 tons by 2016 as the government goes ahead with a plan to phase out wheat production altogether in the next decade.
