The Assistant Undersecretary for Agriculture Affairs & Fisheries at the MME, Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani (centre right), and Yusuf Khalid Al Khulaifi, Director of Agriculture Affairs, cutting a cake with Mohamed Althaf, Director of Lulu Hypermark
Assistant Undersecretary for Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, inaugurated the ‘Festival of Qatari Farms Products’ under the theme ‘Together We Support National Products’ at Lulu Hypermarket in Al Gharafa yesterday.
The Festival is being organized by the Ministry represented by Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs Sector in cooperation with Lulu Hypermarket. Large quantity of local products including meat, poultry, vegetables, fruits, honey, dates, dairy products among many more are being offered at the Festival. The Festival aims at supporting the owners of local farms to showcase their products in the major shopping malls in the country under a major plan of the Ministry to provide marketing platforms to local products.
The opening ceremony was attended by Director of the Agricultural Affairs Department, Yousuf Khalid Al Khulaifi; Advisor of Agricultural Affairs and Fisheries Department, Dr. Mohamed Al Aseer; Director of Lulu Hypermarket Qatar, Mohamed Althaf; Head of Business Relations of Mahaseel, Ahmed Aziz T.T. Al Shamari; and officials from 21 farms participating in the Festival.
Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani stressed that the Festival is part of efforts to support local farm owners to market their products at various marketing platforms. He added that the Ministry had launched two programmes to support local products in order to activate the local market to compete with foreign products.
He pointed out that the previous programs were launched in the beginning with the participation of only 7 farmers, bringing the number of farms participating during this period to 120 farms.
Director of the Agricultural Affairs Department, Yousuf Khalid Al Khulaifi, said that the Festival aims at supporting local products, raise the self-sufficiency ratio of various local products, market Qatari farm products in major malls in the country, as well as supporting and encouraging other farms to produce and display their products on the market.
Al Khulaifi added that the Ministry set prices in cooperation with Mahaseel, so that the value of production is calculated as well as the addition of a suitable profit margin, while maintaining the appropriate price for the public and maintaining high quality.
Mohamed Althaf, Director of Lulu Hypermarket Qatar, said that Lulu Hypermarket Qatar has organised the ‘Festival of Qatari Farm Products’ at all Lulu outlets in Qatar this year as well, thereby creating an opportunity for customers to identify and experience the richness of Qatari food and non-food products and agricultural produce.
Since 2010, Lulu Hypermarket has been organizing the Festival of Qatari Farms Products every year regularly. This year, it has been organized in a big way and will continue until November 17, 2019 at all Lulu Hypermarket stores.
Lulu Hypermarkets have always been an ardent promoter of Qatari food and non-food products and agricultural produce, and almost all prominent Qatari brands namely Dandy, Al Maha, Baladna, Ghadeer, Qbake, Athba, Rawa, qfm, Rayyan, Qatarat, Qatar Pafki, Pearl, Jawharh, Flora, Gourmet, Jerry Smith, Agrico Qatar, Paramount Agricole, Ocean Fish, Napoli Bakeries, Al Waha, Korean Bakeries, Parline, Ghazlan, Al Manhal, Dana, Aqua Gulf, Safa, Sidra, Lusail, Doha and Napico etc. are on regular display.
Lulu Hypermarket has long-standing close tie up with the local farmers and has been the focal point in marketing the local agricultural produce for many years. Although Lulu Hypermarkets have been promoting Qatari products and farm produces for many years, however, since June, 2017 they have been concentrating more in this regard as a social and economic commitment to the nation.
