I have many times put links to the Almarai company on my Twitter account because this company has made a documentary on how it produces its goods. As far as I know, it is the only company that has made a documentary like this. If anyone knows of other companies, then do please let me know.
Every time I create such links, some people unleash a barrage of criticism and start speaking against agricultural companies. They say these companies are depleting water resources or selling products at high prices. This is not true. Almarai and other similar companies continue to suffer from increasing costs in operating their businesses, such as increasing rent, salaries, etc. Despite this, they have not increased the price of their goods.
Government subsidies to agricultural companies are not huge and do not contribute to profits. Wheat is no longer grown in Saudi Arabia. These companies import a lot of items, including fodder and wheat, and receive no subsidies. If subsidies constituted a larger share of profits, we would see the market teeming with companies that make milk,cheese, etc. We should feel proud that we have companies such as Almarai, Alsafi and Nadec that play an important role in providing us with food security.
These companies sell their products at affordable prices that have not changed for over 10 years. We buy cell phones and fast food and never complain about the prices which are higher than what we pay for dairy products. I do not understand why some people have such a negative attitude to successful Saudi companies which offer high-quality products at reasonable prices. High-quality products cannot be offered on the cheap.
What is it that these people who criticize want? Do they want these companies to lose business? Would this make them feel happy? We should stop being so negative? Yes, I agree that some people are frightened that we may run out of water. But the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water are keeping a close eye on this issue. They focus on food security and support these companies.
Anyone who contributes to national production should be encouraged. These companies provide services and charge money for their services. They operate to earn profits. There is no doubt about that and there is nothing wrong with it. In our economy, there are no monopolies on cement, milk, vehicles, etc. We only need to monitor the services and their quality.
We should be proud of our national companies and stop criticizing them for making profits. Every citizen should support his country, its products, factories and companies.
