Developing Agricultural Marketing in the State of Kuwait

In Kuwait’s modern history, all state infrastructure—including electricity, transportation, and countless other services—has been developed. Following the economic crisis, the stock market was established to serve as the foundation for securities trading. The creation of the market was a direct response to the economic crises and turmoil that had crippled the national economy on more than one occasion. The existence of the current market ensures that the mistakes and risks affecting the national economy are not repeated. However, despite this tangible development across all sectors, two facilities crucial to consumers’ daily lives—the vegetable market and the slaughterhouses—have not been developed. Our focus in this research is the vegetable market, as its current situation mirrors that of the days of (Al-Fardah) in Kuwait City. The Kuwait Municipality is responsible for supervision, sanitation, space organization, facility planning, and market maintenance. There have been several attempts to improve the market’s situation, including an executive visit by the mayor and members of the municipal council in early summer 1984 to inspect wholesale markets in Paris, Amsterdam, and Tunis, in addition to the decisions, laws, and proposals put forward from time to time to develop the market. However, there have been no tangible results for the consumer. All that has happened over the past 30 years is the relocation of a group of beneficiaries from one place to another for the benefit of one individual or another. As for the local consumer, they have become accustomed to the current situation, as imported goods are half-packed with weeds, leaves, and newspapers, and some fruits lose 50% of their shelf life before reaching the market, in addition to variations in size and quality within a single package. A Kuwaiti proverb says, “Those on top say ‘Hala Hala,’ and God knows what’s below ), has become a motto to follow when buying from the market. As for undermining local production, it goes without saying that it is not in the interest of the group of merchants and distributors to distribute local produce, as they are tied to foreign suppliers who deal with them on a known and fixed volume basis. The time has come for a realistic pause to study the past and plan for the future in order to achieve the goals of agricultural marketing, which aims to serve the public interest. I propose the following: 1- The Kuwait Municipality, as the entity directly responsible for the vegetable market, should establish a Vegetable and Fruit Marketing Council as an independent body reporting to the Council of Ministers, comprising: - The Kuwait Municipality - The Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries - the Farmers’ Union - the Union of Agricultural Consumer Cooperative Societies. This council’s responsibility would be to study and regulate the wholesale market based on an “exchange” open to all local and imported fruits and vegetables. The Fruit and Vegetable Market (exchange) is responsible for receiving the goods offered and putting them up for open public auction based on specifications, quality, and quantity. The Vegetable and Fruit Market sets the specifications that must be adhered to for both local and imported produce. The market is directly linked to exporters wishing to sell on commission and to importers, and the sale of vegetables and fruits outside the market is prohibited. Wholesalers are registered with the market and are the only ones permitted to enter the market and purchase at auction. The market is equipped with refrigerated warehouses for the storage and distribution of products. Agricultural and Food Products Company: The Agricultural Products Company specializes in marketing agricultural and food products. It operates two agricultural product receiving centers in Al-Wafra and Al-Abdali and has 34 branches distributed across all regions of Kuwait, in addition to its presence in the wholesale market as a distributor and seller. and the company possesses all the foundations to serve as the core of a specialized authority for the receipt and distribution of agricultural products. The only obstacle preventing the company from undertaking this activity is that, as a purely commercial enterprise, it prioritizes commercial profit over the interests of farmers—a matter within the company’s purview. To address this issue and establish a joint venture that combines commerce and cooperation, we propose developing the company as follows:of the company’s capital or increasing the capital so that farmers become shareholders with a 50% stake. 2. The company’s operations are adjusted according to the required activity. Half of the board members are appointed from among the farmers and the other half from state institutions. 3. The company establishes and manages units for receiving, grading, and packaging at production sites. The company will establish a modern processing industry for agricultural products, such as packaging and freezing, among others. 6. The company will supply all packaged products to the wholesale market. 7. All products will be packaged in a single distinctive package labeled “Made in Kuwait” and under a registered trademark. The Farmer’s Role: If consumers are asked to support local agricultural products, these products must meet the required standards of quality, meaning that farmers must pay attention to the quality of production and the packaging process. Most farmers in Kuwait make significant efforts during the growing season, but most of these efforts go to waste due to a lack of attention to harvesting, storage, and distribution, as the product is subject to rapid spoilage and loses its properties and weight due to evaporation. Farmers are required to pay attention to the following: - Selecting proven, high-yield, high-quality seeds; organizing the harvest at appropriate times using small carts, collecting the produce into large carts, and transporting it to the warehouse; establishing a climate-controlled warehouse for sorting and packaging the produce; and shipping the harvested produce in refrigerated trucks. If the produce is to be stored on the farm, a refrigerated storage facility must be established. -6 Farmers should cooperate in establishing climate-controlled units and cold storage rooms that serve multiple farms in a single region. And Allah is the source of success.