Yards for selling local agriculture products reopening early November

The Ministry of Municipality has completed maintenance and renovation works of the local agricultural product sales yards in Al Wakrah, Al Khor, Al Thakhira, Al Shamal, and Al Sheehaniya, in preparation for reopening them in the coming days.Local Arabic daily Arrayah reported that over the recent period, the yards underwent comprehensive maintenance, rehabilitation, and development works, which included renewing damaged shades and toilets, repainting and re-marking the internal ground layouts, and carrying out maintenance on all areas that required it, ensuring the sites are ready to welcome customers at the start of next month.The Ministry of Municipality's Agricultural Affairs Department had suspended operations at the local agricultural product sales yards after the end of the agricultural season starting from June 1, except for the Al Mazrouah Yard at the Umm Salal Central Market, which continued operating daily from 7am to 3pm. The sales of vegetables through these local product yards have recorded remarkable figures over the past years. The development of the local agricultural product markets shows noticeable growth in production and in the number of participating farms. Operations started in 2012 with the launch of Al Mazrouah Yard, with only 24 farms that sold 884 tonnes of local agriculture products. By the 2023–2024 season, the number of participating farms had increased to 76, selling a total of 3,129 tonnes of locally grown vegetables.Al Shamal Yard was opened during the 2018–2019 season with 10 participating farms and recorded sales of 315 tonnes of vegetables. In the 2023–2024 season, the number of participating farms there rose to 22, with sales amounting to 375 tonnes.The local product sales yard initiative has seen significant expansion, with Al Sheehaniya Yard opening in 2020 with 12 participating local farms, selling 421 tonnes of vegetables. By the 2023–2024 season, the number of participating farms had risen to 26, with total sales reaching 661 tonnes.Al Khor and Al Thakhira Yard, which opened during the 2013–2014 season with 22 participating farms, recorded sales of 851 tonnes. By the 2023–2024 season, participation had grown to 76 farms, with total sales reaching 1,207 tonnes. Al Wakrah Yard joined the list of local product sales yards in the 2014–2015 season, starting with 20 participating farms and selling 758 tonnes of produce. In the 2023–2024 season, the number of participating farms increased to 37, and total sales reached 1,196 tonnes.