This week will see 300,000 tons of subsidized barley arrive at Saudi seaports, the largest amount to arrive in some time, as authorities continue their efforts to eliminate price-fixing. Committees formed to monitor barley prices set up a new plan that involves announcing the names of transporters and distributors, and their phone numbers in an attempt to control manipulation of the imported commodity. The barley crisis is “made up” by people trying to create a black market, said Humoud Al-Harbi, director of Shamel for Barley Distribution project. Some people sell a bag of barley for SR45 to SR60 while there's a tag on the bag saying the price is only SR40, he said. “Why would a person pay more than the specified value and why wouldn't he report violators and corrupt people who stock barley to raise its prices?,” he wondered. Statistics show that barley, yellow corn and soya beans constitute 98 percent of Saudi Arabia's total fodder imports. The Ministry of Agriculture says that in 2011, the country's animal resources will need more than seven million tons of barley, which equates to 584,000 tons per month or 898 25-ton trucks every day. Al-Harbi said about 1,000 barley-loaded trucks arrive daily, which reflects that quantities injected into the market are huge and much higher than consumption rate. With the start of implementation of the systems of contractors and cooperative societies, and specifying certain centers for people, a distribution plan, which includes approved transporters for every region, will be disseminated this week, and make it easier for citizens to recognize those introducing the service and report violators, Al-Harbi said. He called on citizens to report anyone who sells barley for more than its specified price. __
