RIYADH: The introduction of the Saudi national ‘organic farming logo' launched by Dr Fahd Balghonaim, Minister of Agriculture, early this year will ensure the quality of organic products sold in the Kingdom, Dr. Saad A. Khaleel Essa, Secretary-General, Saudi Organic Farming Association (SOFA), said. Essa said SOFA, as part of the marketing strategy and to promote the consumption of organic food in Saudi Arabia, would ensure that the producers implement the required Saudi standards and specifications. “As agreed with the Ministry of Agriculture, SOFA will instruct producers to fulfill the quality requirement by meeting the Saudi Arabian Standards and Specification Organization,” he said. Such a system will be in place through an arrangement between Department of Organic Agriculture (DOA), Ministry of Agriculture and the SOFA, he said. The producers (SOFA members) after meeting the required procedures will be able to use the Saudi ‘national organic logo' from this year, Essa said. Besides, SOFA started to communicate with its members and the public through its website www.sofa.org.sa which shows the selling points of organic products in the Kingdom. Brochures, manuals and other publications related to organic production and marketing techniques will help the people better understand about the health benefits of organic products, he said. “The Organic logo, representing the Ministry of Agriculture is aimed at authenticating the produce and to win the confidence of the consumers and raise level of trust in organic products available in the Saudi market under the supervision of the agriculture ministry,” he said. The organic movement is gradually gaining popularity in the Kingdom, he said. SOFA is an independent non-governmental organization operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture. It was launched based on Council of Ministers Decree No. 273 dated 21/8/1428 Hijra year. “We expect in the future that large numbers of conventional farmers will convert their farms into organic farming. The government has already announced a number of benefits to organic farmers including loans from the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) and subsidising costs, per hectare,” he said. He said the total number of organic farms in the Kingdom stood at 64 with 24 located in Qassim, 23 in Riyadh, four in Jouf, two each in Najran, Jizan and Madina, three in Hail, five in Eastern Region, one each in Asir and Baha. Activities such as publication of first DOA Organic Input List launched in March this year and the PR campaign for creating consumer awareness and draft for organic agriculture policy development and national organic action plan will serve as a shot in the arm for organic farming in the country, he noted. However, trust about the authenticity of the organic products is still an issue, which will be addressed once the legislation and regulation are in place, he said. The government is trying to win the confidence of the consumers, said Essa. He said the issue is not the low productivity or high cost of organic farming “but the truth of the matter is that organic farming in Saudi Arabia is still at its infancy stage with only 52 certified organic producers across the Kingdom.
