Broiler Chicken Production In The Kingdom Increases To 1.3 Million Tons For 2024

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) has published its 2024 livestock statistics, revealing a significant rise in broiler chicken production to 1.3 million tons, marking a 12.9% increase from the previous year. Riyadh Region led with 359,700 tons, followed by Hail and Qassim Regions with 295,000 and 200,000 tons respectively.

Table egg production also saw growth, surpassing 8.4 billion eggs in 2024, which is a 6.4% increase compared to 2023. Riyadh Region produced approximately 3.2 billion eggs, while Makkah and Eastern Regions contributed around 1.5 billion and 1.1 billion eggs respectively.

In the realm of specialized dairy projects, raw milk production reached about 2.7 billion liters in 2024, reflecting a decrease of 3.5% from the previous year. Riyadh Region was at the forefront with 1.6 billion liters, followed by Eastern Region producing around 1.1 billion liters.

The number of dairy cows involved in these projects was approximately 233,000 in total across the Kingdom. This data highlights the scale of dairy operations despite the slight decline in milk output.

The statistics indicated that sheep numbers exceeded 22 million in Saudi Arabia during 2024, showing a minor increase of 0.25% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, goat numbers decreased by about 1%, totaling around 7.3 million.

Camel populations rose to over 2.24 million, marking a growth of 1%. Riyadh Region accounted for a significant portion of this increase with nearly one-third of the total camel population.

Financial Aspects of Livestock Projects

The value of loans for livestock projects surpassed SAR2 billion in 2024. Layer chicken projects received the largest share at 31% of total loans, while broiler chicken projects accounted for another substantial portion at 22%.

This financial support underscores the importance placed on poultry farming within Saudi Arabia's agricultural sector as it continues to expand its production capabilities.

With inputs from SPA