Doha: After achieving local date produce at a certain sufficient level, recording over 86 percent, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment has shifted its focus on quality to increase the market value of the fruit.
“Local date farms are expected to supply better quality dates in large quantity this year as they received Polycarbonate Drying Houses (PDHs),” Director of the Agricultural Affairs Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), Yousuf Khalid Al Khulaif told The Peninsula.
He said that the Ministry has started coordination with its partners to organise a large dates festival in October this year under its plan to provide multiple marketing platforms to local date farms.
“The Ministry has supported date farms with PDHs to reduce wastage of local dates and improve their marketing quality,” said Al Khulaifi.
He said that the Ministry has handed over a large number of PDHs under its plan to distribute 100 PDHs to date farms this year.
The PDH is a drying chamber covered by a polycarbonate sheet equipped with an exhaust fan. The new technique improves the quality of dates, especially in humid areas; protects the fruit from insects, birds, dust, and rain; accelerates fruit’s drying process, and reduces the wastage of produce.
“The self-sufficiency rate of Qatar in date production reached to 86 percent which is expected to grow further in coming years,” said Al Khulaifi.
He said that the Ministry is conducting a feasibility study in coordination with private sector to supply large quantity of dates to local market under a major plan to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of fruits and vegetables by 2023.
To provide marketing platform to local date farms, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment represented by the Agricultural Affairs Department has been holding festivals for dried and fresh dates.
He said that the Ministry is preparing to organise a large festival for selling fully ripe and dried dates in October this year. “The sixth local date festival which was organised by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and Souq Waqif recently had attracted a large number of customers including citizens and expatriates,” said Al Khulaifi.
