Oman’s food consumption highest among GCC states

Muscat: Oman’s per capita food consumption was 27 per cent higher than the overall per capita food consumption of 733.6kg for the GCC region in 2019, according to Alpen Capital’s ‘GCC Food Industry Report’. The UAE-based investment banking advisory firm launched its latest GCC Food Industry report that gave comprehensive data about food production and consumption data.

As per the report, Oman boasts the highest food self-sufficiency ratio amongst all the GCC countries. It also has the dubious distinction of being the country with the highest per capita food consumption in the region. An average person in Oman consumes an estimated amount of 930.8kg food in a year.

Investments in fisheries and agriculture

Oman’s domestic food production increased at a robust pace of 11.8 per cent Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) as a result of the Sultanate’s various investments in the fisheries and agriculture sectors. The Sultanate’s population, which is largely urban and young, has grown at a CAGR of 3.0 per cent between 2014 and 2019.

Sedentary lifestyle amid rapid modernisation and higher standards of living have substantially contributed to unhealthy eating habits and higher consumption of high-calorie food, as per Alpen Capital report. This has led to a higher demand of organic and halal food products among the health-conscious millennial population.

The country boasts of the highest food self-sufficiency ratio amongst all GCC nations, reaching 48.0 per cent in 2019. In 2019-2020, Oman’s agriculture ministry announced that the domestic agriculture and fisheries sector recorded a year-on-year growth of 9.8 per cent.

The Sultanate was able to meet over 50 per cent of the fruits, eggs and meat demand, and over 80 per cent of the demand for vegetables through domestic production. The self-sufficiency ratio has remained highest for fish at 141.3 per cent as of 2019.