The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia imported 984,000 tons of barley, worth 458 million Saudi riyals ($122 million) during the third quarter of 2000, reported Al-Hayat newspaper. The Saudi Customs Authority reported that the main countries exporting barley to Saudi Arabia are Germany (46 percent), Belgium (15 percent) and The Netherlands (13 percent).
The domestic barley production in Saudi Arabia amounts to 200,000 tons annually. However, the local barley consumption reaches as high as six million tons per annum. Thus, most of the barley demands are fulfilled through international imports. — (Albawaba-MEBG)
