Hebron / PNN — Monjed Jadou

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, accompanied by a number of ministers and officials, visited Al-Rabieh Feed Company and its manufacturing plant in Beit Awwa, Hebron province, to review its operations and expansion plans as part of government efforts to support Palestinian industry and strengthen domestic production.

Mustafa was received by Dr. Eyad Joudeh, chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund, and Dr. Saeed Dweikat, chairman of Al-Rabieh Feed Company and chief executive officer of Palestine Industrial Investment Group, along with members of the boards of the Palestine Investment Fund and Al-Rabieh.

During the tour, Mustafa visited the plant's production facilities and received a briefing from company management on its operations and production capacity, as well as its efforts to meet the needs of Palestine's poultry and livestock sectors.

Al-Rabieh produces feed for poultry and livestock as part of an investment aimed at strengthening domestic production and supplying farmers and livestock breeders with essential inputs at a time when the agricultural sector faces growing economic and logistical challenges.

Company officials said investment in feed production helps support the stability of the poultry and livestock sectors by ensuring the availability of a key production input in the local market and helping farmers maintain their operations under current conditions.

Mustafa praised the efforts of the Palestine Investment Fund, Palestine Industrial Investment Company and Al-Rabieh Feed Company, reaffirming the government's support for Palestinian industry and its efforts to strengthen the presence of locally produced goods in the domestic market.

Abdel Hakim Faqih, chairman of Palestine Industrial Investment Company, gave the prime minister an overview of the plant and its production lines.

He said developing local industry is part of broader efforts to strengthen Palestinian economic resilience and support the national economy, stressing the importance of investment in productive sectors capable of meeting domestic demand.

During the visit, Mustafa also heard about the company's plans to expand its presence and increase its market share, contributing to the local economy through competitive Palestinian industries capable of supplying essential products to farmers and livestock and poultry breeders.

Joudeh: Company aims to double market share

Dr. Eyad Joudeh, chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund, said poultry farming and livestock production are important sectors of the Palestinian economy, noting that farmers and livestock and poultry breeders have faced difficulties in securing adequate supplies of animal feed.

He said the Palestine Investment Fund focused on the investment in the southern West Bank to help address feed availability and meet the needs of the local market.

Joudeh said the plant has an adequate production capacity, while work is underway to expand its capabilities and strengthen its position in the Palestinian market.

The company currently holds about 6% of the feed market in the West Bank, he said, adding that its goal is to double that share in the coming period.

The company also has storage capacity of about 20,000 metric tons, allowing it to meet customer demand over extended periods, Joudeh said, describing the capacity as an important element in strengthening food security in the area.

He said the company's experience could serve as a model for similar investments in other areas, stressing that the primary objective is to strengthen Palestinian resilience by creating economic and industrial opportunities and enabling farmers and poultry and livestock breeders to continue production.

Dweikat: Prime minister's visit sends message of support for Palestinian industry

Dr. Saeed Dweikat, chairman of Al-Rabieh Feed Company and chief executive officer of Palestine Industrial Investment Group, said the prime minister's visit sends a clear message of support for Palestinian industry, domestic production and the localization of trade within the local market.

Dweikat said Mustafa's support for Palestinian industry was not new, noting that the prime minister had been among those who helped initiate the establishment of the industrial company.

He said the company reaffirmed during the visit its commitment to further developing Palestinian industry and addressing obstacles facing industrial companies, enabling them to expand their presence and increase their share of the local market.

The objective, Dweikat said, is to build a stronger and more competitive Palestinian industrial base and provide products needed by the domestic market, supporting the Palestinian economy as well as the agricultural and other productive sectors linked to it.

The plant, established through a partnership between the Palestine Investment Fund and Palestine Industrial Investment Company, is considered a strategic project aimed at strengthening national production and replacing imported products with locally manufactured goods.

The project is also intended to reduce reliance on imported animal feed and cut the import bill by about $67.9 million annually, while supporting farmers and livestock breeders and strengthening the Palestinian economy's productive capacity.

The plant has an annual production capacity of 50,000 metric tons. Since operations began, it has produced about 35,000 tons of feed.

The project has also created direct and indirect employment opportunities and strengthened cooperation with the private sector.