Strong performance in first-half 2007 has raised hopes that the National Agricultural Development Company (Nadec) will have a good year this year.

The company made a net profit of SR31.2 million ($8.31 million) from January through June, an increase of 26 per cent over the corresponding period in 2006.
The company has been stressing the health and nutritional aspects of its products and earlier this year it launched a promotional campaign in schools for its longlife milk which it produces in several flavours.
Nadec has five dairy farms and two dairy plants capable of processing a million litres per day of fresh milk. The dairy farms are well-equipped with high-technology milking parlours. The overall milking operation is controlled by the Alpro computer system.
“The performance of the Nadec herd is continuously maintained to internationally recognised para-meters for quantitative and qualitative milk production,” a Nadec spokesman said. “Insemi-nation techniques and reproduction are well-organised and performed by efficient and qualified personnel.”
The livestock originated from top-class American Holstein. However, the present stock is born and developed locally and well-adapted to the prevailing climatic conditions, the spokesman said.
The dairy farms are located at Haradh about 160 km from the nearest town. This remote location was deliberately selected to protect Nadec livestock from any disease that might be transmitted from neighbouring farms.
Nadec’s laboratory performs diagnostic procedures for microbial diseases and chemical analysis on plant tissues, soil, water and feedstuff.
The dairy plants produce yoghurt, labneh, fresh and longlife milk as well as juices.
Dairy products constitute just one of several sectors in Nadec’s operations, the others being agricultural products, dates processing and honey production.
The company produces annually more than 30,000 tonnes of table potatoes sold for local consumption or bought by potato-processing factories. Additionally it has established 150 greenhouses and five fibreglass houses, the total area for all being 15 hectares.
The main cereal crops grown at Nadec are wheat and barley, their aggregate production coming to around 100,000 tonnes. The company also produces around 60,000 tonnes of alfalfa hay, 57,000 tonnes of Rhodes grass, 60,000 tonnes of maize and 5,000 tonnes of forage Sudangrass.
Nadec’s fruit farms are located at Wadi Al Sarhan, north of the county. More than 140,000 trees are grown, these producing 1,000 tonnes of fruit including peaches, apricots, plums, figs, grapes, olives and olive oil. The company recently established a special farm to produce 50,000 nursery and olive trees for future orchards plantation.
Nadec, established by a Royal Decree in 1981, says it has been striving to offer the finest and most nutritional products.
It is a joint stock public company with equity capital of SR400 million. The Saudi Government, which holds 20 per cent of equity, has been promoting the company. The Saudi public holds the balance equity.
“This makes Nadec one of the very few widely held Saudi companies and we are proud to serve the public both as owners and customers,” a company statement says.
“The aim of the founders was to exploit resources and to turn the golden sand into green pastures producing nutrition and health for the kingdom’s citizens.”
The late King Fahd honoured Nadec for its achievements in the agricultural sector.
“Nadec is willing to change with time in order to satisfy growing consumers’ demands while maintaining the same standards of quality. An indication of this change is its new image, which is reflected through our new and improved logo, attractive packages and the expansion of our product line,” the statement said.
The statement stressed it would work to reduce imports and increase reliance on national resources and overall to enlarge the contribution of the agricultural sector to the national economy.
To that end it has made “the best investment in human, financial and natural resources in agreement with the values and traditions of Saudi society,” it added.