Qatar has made great strides in agricultural production self-sufficiency by drawing up appropriate national plans and strategies, which contribute to achieving food security and fulfilling the State's requirement.Qatar has been keen to increase the local products and raise efficiency in accordance with the food health and safety criteria with a highly competitive quality to fulfil the consumer's needs, and simultaneously enhance the competitive capabilities of the national products, especially in the local market within the framework of Qatar National Vision 2030.The Ministry of Municipality inaugurated the squares of the local agricultural product in 2012, in pursuit of bolstering its efforts that aim to provide food security and to help the farmers, livestock farm owners and fishermen increase production.The number and operation of these squares have been expanded until this moment to five squares in each of the following areas, namely Mazrooah, Al Khor, Al Dakhira, Al Wakrah, Al Shamal and Al Sheehaniya, along with the keenness of the Department of Agricultural Affairs to start the early season of some of these areas and extend the season of the others, which have contributed to increasing the production, especially during this period when Qatar is hosting the World Cup.In a statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Director of Agricultural Affairs Department Youssef Khaled al-Khulaifi revealed that the production of local vegetables has increased from 22,000 tonnes to roughly 35,000 tonnes during November and December 2022, a rise of 60% compared to the same period last year, pointing out that several Qatari farms have contributed to raising the yield.Al-Khulaifi pointed to the great and constant progress witnessed by the squares of the local agricultural product, indicating that the department has been keen to open their season early starting from November 3.With respect to the vetting procedures conducted on the plant consignments received at the State's ports before and during the World Cup tournament, al-Khulaifi said that the number of agricultural quarantine inspectors has been increased by 150% to ensure work progress and finalise the transactions in a timely manner to keep pace with the anticipated increase in consignments, via a number of agricultural quarantine offices operating around the clock in four customs ports, namely Abu Samra, Hamad and Al Ruwais ports and HIA's cargo terminal, in addition to inspecting the consignments and parcels received via the General Post Office Building and Doha Port, as per request to further ensure their compliance with the health and phytosanitary requirements in pursuit of preserving the plant wealth of Qatar.For his part, the CEO and Agrico farm owner Nasser Ahmed al-Khalaf noted the big turnout received by the local and imported agricultural products through Qatar's hosting of this global sporting event.Al-Khalaf said that although the production in the local farms reached its peak during this period, along with the increase in the local product over the consumption rate and usually in some agricultural products, however, during the tournament, a huge turnout has been observed on all locally produced vegetables and subsequently most of them have been consumed, even for the products imported from abroad, assigning it to the opening of markets that have led to the increase of competition in quality and prices, which helped the consumer obtain high-quality products with affordable prices.He pointed out that the squares of the local agricultural product have offered an opportunity for the consumers to reap the fruit directly from the farm without brokers or commission to purchase fresh products, which contributed to optimising the marketing style, reducing vegetable waste, optimizing production quality and highlighting the products of Qatari farms owners.In addition, previous data of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry have underscored the stabilization of numerous commodities during the tournament period, adding that some prices have been remarkably reduced, such as vegetables in conjunction with their seasonal production, in addition to the efforts exerted by Qatar to support the provision of the national products in the local markets.The agricultural sector in Qatar enjoys a special significance in the policies and orientations of Qatar owing to its social and economic dimensions that received further attention until the contribution to the growth domestic product (GDP) has become large and appreciated.In addition, the agricultural and livestock sector appears to have received ample share of upward growth, based on the great interest it received in Qatar, as the sector entrusted with achieving food security, and for being one of the most critical priorities of the state during the current and coming period, as the latest data confirm that it is both plant and animal has succeeded in achieving great momentum on the track of sustainable development and achieving self-sufficiency, especially after an annual support of QR70mn allocated over a period of five years, with the aim of stimulating agricultural, livestock and fish production and marketing agricultural products, to attain self-sufficiency in crops by 70% by 2023.As a result of this support, the agricultural sector, specially the plant segment, has achieved an increase in the investment of the protected areas with 28% during the period from 2019 until 2021, after it increased from 520 hectares to 666 hectares, which demonstrated the increase of the vegetable production with 11% during the same period.The agricultural strategy in Qatar is fixated on the expansion of the plant agricultural and livestock products, such as vegetables, dates, red meats, poultry, eggs, fish, dairy and green fodder, with the necessary observation of natural resources conservation in the country, and ensure good exploitation, which has primarily led to the boosting of the local production of vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, table eggs and animal feed, by over 400% in one year, where Qatar places special importance on food control, in terms of health and quality, in a way that guarantees raising the quality and safety levels of food products.
