Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser al-Thani, assistant undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment for agricultural, livestock and fisheries affairs, yesterday reaffirmed that, thanks to the increasing attention of the wise leadership, the agricultural sector has managed gigantic leaps towards covering the requirements of the local market and raising the self-sufficiency rates in the agricultural, livestock and fishery sectors despite the unjust siege imposed on the country.
The assistant undersecretary made the remarks at the end of a two-day seminar on food security the ministry organized along with the committee on following up the implementation of food security policies in the public and private sectors in cooperation with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Sheikh Dr Falih bin Nasser al-Thani said that finding appropriate solutions to the challenges facing food security can only be achieved by coordinating efforts, exchanging experiences and utilizing all the available resources of government, academic and research institutions at the local, regional and international levels.
He pointed out that based on the leadership’s adoption of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Food Security Program to raise the level of self-sufficiency in basic commodities for citizens and residents, where the government and private sectors in exert efforts to achieve the goals of this national vision through the implementation of well-studied strategies for national development.
He noted that the second National Development Strategy 2018-2022 has already started.
The self-sufficiency in local vegetables stands at 24%, 86% in dates, and about 50% in green fodder, he added.
As for animal products, he said that self-sufficiency in milk and dairy products in the country has increased to more than 82%, while fresh chicken and table eggs cover more than 98% and 23% respectively of Qatar’s market consumption.
The number of economic animals increased to about 1.6mn heads, while self-sufficiency in fish reached about 80%.
Sheikh Dr Falih bin Nasser al-Thani said the state has undertaken a number of initiatives to boost food security by providing opportunities for private investors in the agricultural field by launching four large strategic projects for the production of vegetables over an area of 1mn sq m per project.