Gulf Agriculture magazine High resolution(1) | Page 8

NEWS UPDATE
East Food Solutions Company
(MEFSCO Corn Milling
Facility), inaugurated in Al-
Kharj, is Cargill's first
investment in KSA. The
investment marks the
company's commitment to the
Middle Eastern economy and
support for the region's food
and beverage manufacturers.
The MEFSCO facility was
built to serve the Gulf
Cooperation Countries (GCC),
which include Saudi Arabia,
the UAE, Kuwait, Oman,
Bahrain and Qatar. With the
new plant, the joint venture is
able to double its glucose and
starch production capacities,
triple total production volume
and expand its product
portfolio to include high
fructose corn syrup to meet
the growing demand across
the confectionery, juice,
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GULF AGRICULTURE
bakery and catering segments
in the region.
Julian Chase, global Leader
for Cargill starches, sweeteners
and texturizers said, “The
Middle East food industry is
one of the world's fastest-
growing markets. The
MEFSCO facility gives regional
food and beverage
manufacturers access to high
quality, innovative products
produced specifically for them.
ARASCO's local knowledge
and supply chain infrastructure
were crucial in our ability to
design a facility that best serves
local market needs.
More than meat: Shaping
the future of livestock
The livestock sector is a mainstay
for food security and rural
livelihoods and the international
community must work together
to make sure it achieves its
potential contribution to
sustainable development, FAO
Director-General José Graziano
da Silva said.
FAO estimates that more
than half of the world's rural
poor are livestock farmers and
pastoralists. Among the poorest
of the poor, they rely on
livestock that play a vital role in
their livelihoods.
While animal products make
large contributions to nutrition
and the fight against poverty,
they also entail outsized impacts
on the climate and environment
and assuring animal health is
increasingly critical for human
health, he said at the 10th
Global Forum for Food and
Agriculture in Berlin.
As demand for meat and
other animal products grows
robustly, especially in
JANUARY FEBRUARY 2018