The local dates festival, organised by the Agricultural Affairs Department at the Ministry of Municipality, in collaboration with the organising committee of Expo 2023 Doha, kicked off on Thursday and will run until Nov 30. The festival, held in the international zone at the Expo, involves the participation of 26 local farms, two date packaging and manufacturing companies, and a specialised area for plant tissue culture laboratories affiliated with the Agricultural Research Department. This aims to provide information to farmers and individuals interested in date palms.
This season's edition of the festival distinguishes itself by showcasing and selling date palm produce directly to the public from the farms, alongside informative sessions tailored for farmers, manufacturers, and interested attendees.
Ahmed al-Yafei of the Agricultural Affairs Department highlighted that this year's festival is hosted at the Expo 2023 Doha Gardening Exhibition to introduce all participating countries and entities to Qatari products. It also aims to benefit farmers by familiarising them with modern agricultural and irrigation techniques, learning from these countries' experiences in production and manufacturing, and attempting to apply these practices in upcoming seasons.
The choice of the International Zone to hold this festival was due to its significant attendance by various nationalities, serving the farmers and providing good quality and affordable products to the public.
Al-Yafei added that since 2021, 100,000 boxes have been distributed free of charge to farmers for date collection, along with providing 100 drying units to the 100 most productive farms. This is coupled with pest control measures, pesticide distribution, ensuring palm trees are free of diseases, and examining and verifying the safety of the dates exhibited.
