KUWAIT: Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Saud Al-Sabah conducted a comprehensive field security tour of the Al-Abdali agricultural region on Friday to monitor food security conditions and the services provided to citizens and residents. During the visit, the minister toured several farms to observe operational mechanisms and listen to the challenges facing workers in the sector. He also visited the Al-Abdali farmers’ market, praising its role in supporting local products, and concluded his visit at the Farmers Union diwan, where he engaged directly with farmers to hear their proposals and concerns.
This tour is part of an intensifying government effort to root out corruption and administrative violations within Kuwait’s agricultural markets. Recent surprise inspections of Farmers Union outlets in areas such as Fahad Al-Ahmed, Al-Andalus, and Al-Jahra revealed “grave violations,” including allegations of bribery where commercial companies paid to have their products prioritized over others, Al-Jarida reported.
In response, the minister has issued strict directives to enable farmers to sell directly to consumers through approved sites to lower prices. He also ordered eliminating illegal practices and “middlemen” who manipulate auctions and referring any individuals involved in tampering with public funds or support systems to legal authorities.
In conversations with Al-Rai, local producers have described these ministerial actions as a “glimmer of hope” to end years of monopoly and price manipulation. Under the previous status quo, farmers often faced a “distorted equation” where they sold their produce at a loss while consumers paid high prices. The return of state-allocated market stalls (shabrat) to the actual producers is seen by many as a vital step in reviving the local agricultural sector.
Farmers identified several systemic crises that threaten the sector’s sustainability, including monopoly of auctions by intermediaries, lack of direct purchasing by cooperative societies and weak infrastructure for refrigerated storage and transport. To address these, farmers have proposed innovative solutions, such as opening permanent stalls in Kuwait’s 146 public parks under the supervision of the Public Authority for Agriculture and the Ministry of Commerce. — Agencies
