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SABIC Introduces ‘Smart’ Techniques to Increase Farmer Productivity

SABIC Introduces ‘Smart’ Techniques to Increase Farmer Productivity
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SABIC Introduces ‘Smart’ Techniques to Increase Farmer Productivity

SABIC Introduces ‘Smart’ Techniques to Increase Farmer Productivity

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has introduced a series of smart techniques and practices that help farmers enhance efficiency, production and profits.

This presentation was made during the company's participation in the 25th Arab Fertilizer Forum and Exhibition that concluded in Cairo on Thursday.

SABIC showcased the pioneering researches at its subsidy Estidamah Agricultural Research Center in Riyadh, established in 2008. Raddy Alfaridi, Director of Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs at the center, presented a lecture on Estidamah researches regarding the efficiency of water usage in modern agricultural greenhouses.

This falls in line with the center’s efforts in increasing production to promote food security in the Kingdom through its research on conditions most suitable for crops.

The company also shed light on its guiding agricultural convoy in which more than 7,000 farmers from around 120 sites in the MENA region took part last year.

This event was launched end of 2018 in cooperation with the Arab Fertilizer Association, the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and relevant departments to enrich the technical knowledge of farmers.

Engineer Samir Al-Abdrabbuh, Agri-Nutrients Executive Vice President, affirmed that SABIC has been working for the past 25 years with the Arab Fertilizer Association and its farmer members to face modern agricultural challenges and to enhance the food supplies in MENA and the world.

Abdrabbuh noted that the company’s scientists continue to develop innovative solutions to increase crops.

He added that SABIC’s contributions are not restricted to lab experiments but extend to the exchange of expertise.

SABIC dedicates time and efforts for visiting fields, communicating with farmers and helping them acquire the required skills and benefit from the company’s solutions, said Abdrabbuh.

The 25th Arab Fertilizer Forum and Exhibition saw the attendance of more than 500 officials from 130 organizations from 30 states.

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Xi Says China Must Apply 'More Proactive' Macroeconomic Policies in 2025

This picture taken on December 16, 2024 shows a vendor arranging items as people shop in Harbin, China’s Northeastern Heilongjiang province.(Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)
This picture taken on December 16, 2024 shows a vendor arranging items as people shop in Harbin, China’s Northeastern Heilongjiang province.(Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)
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Xi Says China Must Apply 'More Proactive' Macroeconomic Policies in 2025

This picture taken on December 16, 2024 shows a vendor arranging items as people shop in Harbin, China’s Northeastern Heilongjiang province.(Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)
This picture taken on December 16, 2024 shows a vendor arranging items as people shop in Harbin, China’s Northeastern Heilongjiang province.(Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)

President Xi Jinping said China will put in place "more proactive" macroeconomic policies next year, state media reported, as he addressed a top political advisory body on Tuesday.

The country has struggled this year to climb out of a slump fueled by a property market crisis, weak consumption and soaring government debt.

Beijing has unveiled a string of aggressive measures in recent months aimed at bolstering growth, including cutting interest rates, cancelling restrictions on home buying and easing the debt burden on local governments.

But economists have warned that more direct fiscal stimulus aimed at shoring up domestic consumption is needed to restore full health in China's economy, AFP reported.

"We must... further comprehensively deepen reform, expand high-level opening up, better coordinate development and security, (and) implement more proactive and effective macroeconomic policies," state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as telling the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at a New Year's tea party.

Beijing is aiming for an official national growth target this year of about five percent, a goal officials have expressed confidence in achieving but which many economists believe it will narrowly miss.

"The new quality productivity develops steadily, and annual GDP is expected to grow by about five percent," Xi reiterated on Tuesday.

The International Monetary Fund expects China's economy to grow by 4.8 percent this year and 4.5 percent next year.

Xi's comments came as Chinese authorities released optimistic factory activity figures, a sign that recent stimulus measures may be starting to take effect.

China's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) -- a key measure of industrial output -- was 50.1 in December, marking a third consecutive month of expansion, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.

The figure was lower than Bloomberg analysts' prediction of 50.2, but still above 50, which indicates an expansion in manufacturing activity.

A reading below that shows a contraction.

The key indicator slid for six months in the middle of the year before returning to expansion territory in October.

The non-manufacturing PMI, which measures activity in the service sector, came in at 52.2 in December, up from 50.0 in November.

"The official PMIs suggest that the economy gained momentum in December, driven by faster growth in the services and construction sectors," Gabriel Ng of Capital Economics wrote in a note to clients Tuesday.

"Increased policy support towards the end of the year has clearly provided a near-term boost to growth," Ng wrote.

Ng noted that export orders in particular rose to a four-month high in December, "probably helped by US importers ramping up orders in advance of potential Trump tariffs.”