Analysts worldwide have praised the development of agriculture in Saudi Arabia which has seen it surpass the goal of self-sufficiency to exporting abroad. The Kingdom's Gross National Product for agriculture reached SR44 billion in 2009, constituting 6.6 percent of the non-oil sector, an achievement made possible by the policies of King Abdullah's government which have seen the introduction of farming subsidies, interest free soft loans and the purchase of crops at stimulating prices. The Agricultural Development Fund, since its inception in 1953, had by 2009 awarded loans totaling SR41.7 billion. A balance between water and food security has further enabled the Kingdom to achieve sustainable agriculture while diversifying the production base, according to one report, while fundamental changes between 1994 and 2009 were witnessed in the reduction of cereal production from 4.86 million tons to 1.6 million tons in tandem with a big increase in fruit and vegetable production. A notable increase was also seen in poultry and animal husbandry and dairy products, leading to a count of 14.2 million heads of cows, goats, sheep and camels, and the production of 1.5 million liters of milk and 508,000 tons white meat.
