The fifth edition of the Local Dates Festival by the Ministry of Municipality will be organised this year in co-operation with Al Meera Consumer Goods.
The decision was taken after the festival, which is annually held at Souq Waqif, was cancelled this year due to Covid-19 pandemic.
A statement by the MME, given to local Arabic daily Arrayah, said the festival was cancelled in order to prevent gatherings and ensure the safety of all.
MME, according to the statement, will hold a press conference soon during which all details regarding the festival and its marketing mechanism will be announced. The ministry decided to hold the festival this year after it evoked good response from the local farmers and consumers in Qatar. The participation of local farms had increased by four times in 2019, MME figures showed.
The festival is held as part of Qatar’s efforts to promote locally grown products and help local farmers find the ideal market for dates. Last year, more than one dozen local varieties were on sale from 85 farms across Qatar in addition to Hassad Food company.
The festival was attended by 86 farmers from across the country.
The varieties on sale at the festival included Al-Khalas, Al-Shishi, Al-Khenaizi, Al-Barhi, Al-Iraqi and Al-Silji, Al-Saqai, Nabt Saif, Al-Lulu and Al-Razizi.
The festival, in 2019, recorded a sale of 170 tonnes of dates while the number of visitors stood at 51,0000. In 2018, a sale of 205 tonnes was recorded while a total of 54,000 persons visited it.
