Companies which participated in the seventh Local Dates Festival at Souq Waqif , which culminated yesterday reported strong sales over the 15-day festival.
The Peninsula talked to sales representatives on the last day of the festival and they said that they earned QR500 to QR3,000 per day, which is equivalent to 200kg of dates.
Abul Hashem from Jabr Al Sulaiti said since day one, the number of people buying dates keeps on increasing. “Dates are cheaper sold here, for only QR10, you can buy a kilo of dates. In a day, we have sold over 200 kilos, and most of the people buying were the locals.”
Arun from Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Hamad Al Thani company said people visiting the event are increasing each year. “We are offering locally produced dates – Khanizi, Khalas, Shishi, Barhy, among others.” He also noted that he can see the trend that people are purchasing more dates regardless the occasion.
Hassan Al Neimi from Al Nuaimia Farm said they have recorded over QR3,000 as their highest sales during the festival. “People start flocking in afternoon and night because the weather gets cooler. Most of our customers are the locals and residents in the country.”
The cheapest dates cost QR5 for one kilogramme and can go as high as QR30 for three kilogrammes, depending on the variety. More than 81 local farms participated in the festival this year.
One notable feature of the festival is the inclusion of five fruit farms which according to the Agricultural Affairs Department of the Ministry of Municipality has been proven a success. Among the fruits on sale were figs, green almonds, papaya, and other local fruits. When The Peninsula visited the fruit stalls yesterday, three of them sold out their goods, while the other two were selling their last remaining three to four boxes.
The Ministry earlier revealed that a separate fruit festival will be held due to the success of their experiment.
Date palms trees were also on sale which costs QR250 for a Khalas or Shishi type from Arab Qatari Agricultural Production Co. Products made from dates by Memos Factory were also a big hit for all ages. These include slush for QR10, cake from QR15 to QR30, pickles QR45, ice cream at QR10, and tart boxt QR100. The company has been participating in the festival since it started.
