File picture of local vegetables at Mahaseel festival held recently at Katara.
Doha: Qatar plans to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetable production in the next five years. Produce from local farms meet up to 80 percent of the market requirements in some seasons, the Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi said yesterday.
The Minister said that the plan would be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Commerce and the farm owners.
Al Rumaihi was speaking on the sidelines of launching a marketing campaign for locally produced vegetables at Hyatt Plaza. The ministry fixes a target percentage every season before raising it gradually to complete self-sufficiency by 2022, said the Minister.
He added that the government is committed to supporting farms and helping them grow, noting that any investor who has plans to cultivate vegetables will find backing from the ministry.
The Ministry already provides support to producers whether it be technical or by providing insecticides as well as water and electricity.
Al Rumaihi said that he looks forward to hearing suggestions from producers and about the challenges facing them that ministry can interfere in and solve.
The Minister appreciated the leap in quality of the locally produced vegetables and the high demand, ever since they were introduced to supermarkets and hypermarkets.
The Minister praised local producers for their effort in supplying the local market with organic vegetables. Examinations showed that the quality of the Qatari products were in line with the international standards. The Minister stressed his confidence that local produce can grow significantly and cover a bigger segment of the market next year.
He acknowledged that the supply of products was limited, but said that encouraging investment in the field will help achieve the goal of self-sufficiency. A total of 19 farmers are taking part in the marketing campaign this year, launched in collaboration with Al Meera. The initiative is part of the ministry's commitment to improving the quality of local produce and increasing demand for it.
The Ministry has worked with the Ministry of Economy and Commerce and its Consumer Protection Department in laying down a number of conditions for marketing Qatari vegetables in hypermarkets. One of those conditions is that those products must carry a logo specifically made for distinguished Qatari products.
