Customers buying vegetables at a winter vegetable market.
The three different programmes, being run by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) to help local farmers market their agricultural produce directly to customers, have witnessed a huge 71 growth in selling vegetables in 2018-19 season compared to 2017-18 season.
The programmes – ‘Winter Vegetable Markets’, ‘Premium Vegetables’ and ‘Qatar Farms’ – have helped selling 20,162 tonnes of local vegetables in 208-19 compared to 11,765 tonnes of vegetables in 2017-18, said the Ministry in a Report of National Strategy for Food Security - 2019, released recently.
The impressive performance of the programmes has also increased their market share from selling 18 percent of total local vegetables in 2017-18 season to 27 percent in 2018-19 season, showing a 50 percent growth.
Qatar Farms programme attracted the highest number of customers showing growth over three and half times (353 percent), by selling 10.385 tonnes vegetables in 2018-19 compared to 2291 tonnes vegetables in 2017-18.
Premium Vegetables programme witnessed 13 percent growth, by selling 2,484 tonnes vegetables in 2018-19 compared to 2,256 tonnes vegetables in 2017-18 while Winter Vegetable Markets sold 7,288 tonnes vegetables in 2018-19 compared to 7,269 tonnes vegetables in 2017-18.
Winter Vegetable Markets are operating in Al Sheehaniya, Al Mazrouha, Al Wakrah, Al Khor-Al Zakhira and Al Shamal from Thursday to Saturday from 7am to 3pm and they will continue until the end of agricultural season.
A total of 150 local agricultural farms, 40 livestock farms and 12 fishermen are participating with their produce in the markets.
However, other two programmes are being run by the MME in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry at major commercial outlets throughout the country offering fresh vegetables directly from local farms to customers at competitive prices.
The marketing programmes aim at proving reasonable prices to local farmers for their investments and hard-work enabling them to offer their produce directly to the customers. The good yield also encourages local farms to increase their products by cultivating in free spaces at their farms and setting up greenhouses.
According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the greenhouse areas have increased to 400 hectors from 129 hectors in 2012-13, when the first winter vegetable market opened.
To further boost the marketing activities of local agricultural produce, the Ministry launched another initiative of establishing a local company to serve the purpose.
Under the initiative, Hassad Food established Mahaseel for marketing local agricultural produce with supervision and cooperation with the Ministry. Mahaseel launched new programme – Contract Farming – offering farmers to sign a contract with the company before the beginning of agricultural season to market their produce at a fair and fixed prices throughout the season.
The initiative encourages the farmers to increase their produce by ensuring fair prices for it. Mahaseel also buys vegetables from local farm on daily basis without prior contract, creating opportunities to the farmers from all over the country to supply their produce to the company.
