Integrated farms for dairy production and processing in Al-Ahsa Governorate - Saudi Arabia "A study in economic geography

 
 
 
 
 
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia paid attention to the dairy industry, and took several decisions to support investment in this field. Thus, it transformed from primitive, simple household industries to large-scale commercial ones in which modern technologies are used to produce large quantities of this product. Dairy production increased from 82,984 tons in 1983 AD to about one million tons in 2005 AD, while the number of specialized projects (integrated farms) in dairy production in Saudi Arabia reached 26 projects in 2013 AD. The Riyadh region accounted for the largest share of 17 projects, while the share of Al-Ahsa governorate was limited to only two projects. Thus, Nada and Al-Rayyan farms represent the study population, which were distinguished for being two farms that include livestock breeding, milk production and processing, in addition to fodder production. The number of dairy cattle increased significantly during the study period; Which affected the increase in the amount of dairy produced, as well as processed dairy products. The types of cows in the two farms were of the Frisian-Holstein type, as many geographical factors affected the types of livestock and their dairy production, foremost among which was the climate.
an indication that economic activity focuses on profit; Many factors affected the economics of production, on top of which was raw milk, along with many other factors. There were many markets consuming the production of the two farms, as it came in the forefront: the capital of Al-Ahsa, the city of Dammam, and the Gulf countries (Qatar and the Emirates).
This activity faced many problems, including: environmental problems, fodder, diseases, water and climate. The study area is characterized by the fact that it is a market where the demand for dairy products is increasing; This helps to increase the size of the two farms and their production in the future, and encourages the establishment of more numbers of this type of farms in the future.