Mobile feed project to boost job openings

Driven by the idea of creating new jobs and develop entrepreneurial skills among the youths, the animal feed product major National Feed joined hands with the Al Rafd and Riyada and came out with the idea of mobile feed project. Al Rafd Fund and Riyadah are the government’s financing and advisory arms respectively to promote small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Sultanate. At a meeting held at the Dhofar chapter of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industries, the stake holders discussed the initiative and its possible implementation after proper permission from the respective authorities. Mohammed al Mashani, CEO of Omani National Livestock Development Company, called the project an entirely new initiative with focus on creating new job opportunities for the youths of the nation. “The project aims at creating promising business opportunities for Omani youths by opening exclusive markets for young people wishing to start their own businesses. The project comes as part of the value added programmes that the company is working on in cooperation with Al Rafd Fund and Riyada. This is one of its kind initiatives, which can go a long way and something that other companies can also think of adopting with modifications suiting to their products.” “The idea of mobile feed project is to impress upon the young people who have seriousness and desire to enter into the field of business. As part of support we will provide them with our products at cost price and give them a profit margin that would help them to compete and stay in the market by targeting areas where the feed products are not available or there is shortage of animal feed or the locations which are far from market and where livestock breeders are present,” he said. Al Mashani said that the target groups of this initiative are the job seekers, whom the company would provide practical training to understand the market and give them a competitive advantage in price and technical support. The custodian of the project would be Public Authority for SME Development (Riyada). Very soon there would be registration process through which interested people can get advantage of the initiative. Emad bin Amer al Rawas from the Riyada in Dhofar, said that the modalities of registration would soon be announced after proper scrutiny of things in accordance with the regulations and conditions that will be announced during the opening of registration. He added that Riyada would market the idea. The project would undergo regular evaluation and changes would be incorporated for its smooth running. Mohammed bin Ali al Shahri, Assistant Director of Al Rafd Fund in Dhofar Governorate, appreciated the idea as one of the most real initiatives. “We are looking for such ideas from the private sector. Al Rafd will contribute to the success of this project by financing the beneficiaries of this project,” he said.