Riyadh: The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program ‘Reef Saudi’ has said there is an increase in the number of centers marketing agricultural produce in different regions, and that the program has embarked on establishing 11 such centers in Jazan, Najran, Asir, Al-Baha, Qassim, Hail, the Eastern Region, Makkah, Madinah, Al-Jouf, and Tabuk.
These centers carry out logistics for stores, significantly improving the value chains and supply chains in the fruit sector. They do so by receiving fruits and performing initial cooling to extend their shelf life, as well as by cleaning, sorting, packaging, and wrapping fruits with equipment designed for this purpose. These products are then stored in large refrigerated warehouses in the centers, and then the marketing and selling processes begin.
Sales may be online, at auctions, directly to the consumer, by linking with e-commerce platforms or establishing small retail outlets for entrepreneurs.
According to Reef Saudi, these centers provide marketing sol
utions that will transform the fruit sector in the Kingdom, and this model will be expanded in all regions of the Kingdom through various projects.
The centers marketing agricultural produce provide post-harvest services such as cleaning, sorting, packaging and logistics that help maintain product quality, simplify supply chains, and create sustainable marketing solutions for farmers by diversifying the customer base.
The financial support provided by the program to the fruit sector since its launch has reached SAR102 million; it benefited 6,322 individuals.
The volume of fruit production in the sectors targeted by the program last year reached 244,000 tons; the goal is to increase production to 305,000 tons by 2026.
Source: Saudi Press Agency