*** ----> Centre ‘one of key pillars of food industry’ | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Centre ‘one of key pillars of food industry’

TDT | Manama                                                             

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Municipalities Affairs and Agrcilture Minister Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak has stressed the importance of the National Centre for Agricultural Laboratories in Hoorat A’ali as one of the key pillars of the food industry and its safety.

He noted that the Ministry is currently working on promoting national cadres to advance the lab work according to the highest international standards. “Agricultural labs will work to provide the best services to farmers and breeders, and to find appropriate solutions to ensure the safety of their products and improve their quality,” said Al Mubarak as he visited the centre.

The research facility includes laboratories specialised in protecting plants from insects and diseases, in addition to soil labs, tissue culture, pesticides, food safety labs, water labs, molecular and serological techniques, parasitology, and microbiology labs.

Built on a land area covering 2754 square metres, the centre includes various agricultural and animal labs, administrative offices, stores, toilets and a cafeteria, in addition to all the necessary external facilities. Facility’s role The Minister highlighted the role of the facility in improving the level of services provided to suppliers of various commodities such as plants, animals and meat, especially with regard to determining their compliance with the laws and regulations and the requirements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) phytosanitary and animal health agreements.

“One of the objectives of the center is to provide analytical testing services to cover market needs, develop techniques used for food testing of animal products, and obtain ISO certification,” he said. Al Mubarak highlighted cooperation with the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development to train Bahraini cadres in lab work, in addition to fields related to sustainable development goals.