By Sidi Mohamed
DOHA: The three farmers’ markets where locally grown vegetables, locally-bred birds and livestock are sold, have decided to extend operations to encourage local farms.
The markets are now open during the winter months—they operate from November until the onset of summer.
The markets that also retail fish, are quite popular as they vend fresh vegetables grown in local farms and locally bred cattle and birds at much cheaper rates.
The prices are even cheaper than those at the Central Market because of the absence of middlemen who jack up marketing costs. The idea behind the extension is to encourage Qatari farms to increase their production and help consumers access fresh produce at cheaper rates.
The current season of the three markets began last November. The markets are located in Umm Salal (Al Mazrouah here is the largest of the three), Al Wakra and one which is common for Al Khor and Al Dhakheera municipalities.
According to a senior government official in-charge of the farmers’ markets, in the first two months of this year some 284,000 boxes of vegetables grown in Qatari farms were sold at the three markets. And the sold produce also included 469 tons of fruits and 35 tonnes of fresh fish.
The markets are managed by the Ministry of Environment, which is now part of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment.
In addition, in January and February of this year, some 8,896 birds, understandably also including chicken, and 2,354 cattle heads were sold at the three markets, said Abdul Rehman Al Sulaiti.
“The current season of the markets has achieved a big success due to the efforts of the ministry and larger participation by Qatari farms,” he said. The prices of the produce here are competitive and much lower as compared to those at the Central Market, he said.
Some items are much, much cheaper than those available at the Central Market, he added. “The plan this year is to extend the duration of the markets and the idea is to encourage local farms to produce more and help consumers access the produce at much cheaper rates,” Al Sulaiti said.
He pointed out that the Ministry has been holding workshops for the representatives of Qatari farms and make them aware of innovative methods of marketing as well as to guide them as to how to maintain the quality of their produce.
These markets, according to Al Sulaiti, are a direct link between the local farmhouses and consumers and that is the reason why the prices of the produce are so low and the quality is high, he added.
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