Japan's Minister of Agriculture visits Radwa poultry farms

The Radwa poultry farm, some 50 km north of Jeddah, has grown over the last 25 years in production capacity from three million to 28 million chickens per year. The farm now covers an area of 16 square kilometres and is amongst the largest in the Kingdom, accounting for about 10 percent of the country's annual production.

Nakagawa, who has held the position of minister in eight successive governments since 1983, is widely regarded as an experienced and highly influential politician with a pragmatic approach to trade.

"I was really impressed by this visit especially the Bio-Security measurements standards that are applied at Radwa's farms,"

Mr. Nakagawa confirmed.

"It is an honour to receive Mr Nakagawa," said Tarek Taher, President and CEO of the Aal Taher Group of Companies which owns the farm. "We feel it recognises both our company's commitment to both efficiency of production and the concern for the environment that underpins our way of approaching a very necessary food production facility."

Taher said that the company's policy starts and ends with providing the best to consumers epitomized in its slogan: "Our Environment...Our Responsibility." The quality of the Rawda poultry farm has already gained international recognition. In 2003, it received the International Golden Star Award for Quality-Geneva and this year, the "Arch of Europe" Platinum for Quality in Frankfurt.

The awards were granted as a result of Radwa's world class quality standards, commitment to consumers' satisfaction, leadership and training. The company also holds both ISO 9001:2000 quality Assurance and ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Assurance certificates in addition to HACCP ELOT 1416 Food Safety Assurance certificate and Total Quality Management system status.

Poultry is a major source of protein in the Kingdom. Hong Kong is still the world's biggest consumer of poultry at 57.3 kg/capita per annum, followed by the US at 49.6 kg/capita and Kuwait at 41.1 kg/capita.

Saudi Arabia averages 48kg/capita per annum while Japan ranks 9th at just 12kg/capita. However, it is the world's leading consumer of seafood at over 150kg/capita per annum.

With the recent concerns over Bird Flu and its knock on effects on public health and commercial production of farmed chickens, the Radwa farm applies the highest standards in Bio-Security measurements and exemplifies the seriousness with which control and elimination of the disease is taken in Saudi Arabia.

Scrupulously enforced onsite safeguards include cover-all protective clothing for operatives and visitors, extensive disinfecting of vehicles entering and travelling between the chicken hatcheries on the farm and the supervised manufacturing of chicken feeds by the Radwa company.

The precautions were both to protect the chickens from chance infection by visitors and vice versa, said Al Taher.

"A clean and hygienic production system that protects the birds, the workers and the environment are critical factors in producing high quality and uncontaminated food," said Al Taher. "Never before has public awareness for disease free food been higher. That's what we aim for; that's what we produce."