The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has introduced four Quality Labels to promote a good quality of agricultural, fishery and animal products in the Kingdom; Organic, SAMAQ, Saudi Dates Mark, and Saudi G.A.P.
The ministry pointed out that the purpose of issuing such Quality Labels was to increase the market value of products, help farmers and investors marketing and exporting their products, and increase growth of marketing opportunities in domestic and foreign markets, as well as ensuring the quality and safety of the products.
"Saudi Dates Mark", the ministry said, aims to develop the Saudi dates sector and increase the market value of Saudi dates and marketing opportunities in local and global markets in accordance with the dates standards, making the Kingdom the worlds' largest producer of dates with a certified mark that guarantees the quality and safety of the products in order to achieve the ministry's key strategic objectives.
"SAMAQ, the national aquaculture product certification, was issued to develop the fisheries and aquaculture sector and to raise the quality standards of locally produced fish products to provide fresh, safe and healthy products.", according to the ministry.
The ministry also highlighted the prominent role of the aquaculture sector in achieving food security and self-sufficiency by meeting the domestic seafood needs in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 which called for concentrating efforts to support this sector to promote the national economy.
Moreover, the ministry has also launched "Organic" certification since the aquaculture sector is witnessing a continuous growth due to the increasing demand for organic products, shifting to organic farming, increasing organic products imports, increasing the number of outlets selling organic products, attracting investors, and raising awareness of organic farming in the Saudi society. "Organic" certification helps the consumers recognize top quality products marked with Saudi National Organic Logo for Organic Agriculture Products that is authorized by the competent authorities and meet the ministry's standards since cultivation till arrival to the authorized sales outlet.
Furthermore, the ministry has also launched Saudi Arabia Good Agricultural Practices (Saudi G.A.P) Certificate and started to apply its standards on the operators of the production units from 1/1/2019 (corresponding to 25/4/1440 H). Saudi G.A.P is a local network linking farmers to trademark owners in the production and distribution process of safe food to gain consumer's satisfaction and trust.