Saudi Arabia

Saudi Orders Subsidies to Curb High Barley Prices
Reuters, June 25, 2000

Saudi Arabia's King Fahd has ordered “billions of riyals” in state subsidies to help livestock owners cope with high barley prices, a Saudi official said on Sunday. Saudi Arabia is the world's largest importer of feed barley. According to the International Grains Council, Saudi Arabia is expected to import 4.5 million tonnes of barley during the current crop year. But traders see the desert kingdom importing between five and six million tonnes because of the impact of drought.