The agricultural sector in Qatar has made remarkable achievements on the path of sustainable development and self-sufficiency and achieving food security. This was highlighted when the Minister of Municipality and Environment, H E Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi, said that Qatar achieved 100 percent self-sufficiency in dairy and fresh poultry products.
During the period following the siege, the Qatari agricultural sector witnessed a major development due to the active support of all sectors of the state, and Qatari agricultural producers contributed to a major breakthrough as regards production, and all the issues and constraints faced by them were overcome. The agricultural strategy of Qatar focuses on increasing the production of farm items taking into account the optimal utilisation of natural resources. Ambitious steps were taken by the Qatari agricultural sector to meet the requirements of the local market and raising the self-sufficiency in the plant, animal and fish sectors.
The Minister said that a fiscal budget of QR105m has been allocated to provide support to agricultural producers in the country. He noted that Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s directives were to magnify the role of Qatari farms and agricultural companies to contribute to increasing domestic production and reduce imports to enhance food security, especially under conditions of the unjust siege imposed on the state.
The Ministry of Municipality and Environment, in line with National Vision 2030 and the plans and projects of the Food Security Program, is responsible for food security and natural resource development to increase production and reduce the gap between production and consumption and to increase self-sufficiency preserving and sustaining the national environment and sustaining it for future generations.
Within the framework of the State’s efforts to help the Qatari agricultural producers and solve the problems facing them, cooperation between the Ministries of Environment, Economy and Commerce has been launched for a new marketing program for Qatari vegetables in consumer complexes called “Qatar farms”. The idea is to provide the Qatari farmers with the opportunity to display their local production of high-quality vegetables in the consumer complexes and at reasonable prices to the consumer without an intermediary and without making the farmer pay any commission.
The Minister assured that the company would contribute effectively to raise the marketing efficiency of Qatari agricultural products and increase the profit of Qatari farms. He said registered farms in the country will be supported by protected houses and agricultural production requirements. Livestock breeders will be supported by concentrated animal feeds, he added.
All these measures prove that Qatar is making great strides in achieving food security and that Qatar is strongly committed to boosting the agricultural sector.
