Local food products are giving tough competition to the imported items in local market due to its growing demand amid rising quality, said an official.
Masoud Jarullah Al Marri, Head of the Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, said that there is a great demand for national products and Qatar has made significant progress in food production. The local production become a competitive for other products.
He also said that the department plans to increase self-sufficiency in the production of livestock from currently 16 percent to 30 percent by the year of 2023.
In the past two years local production of agricultural, fish, animal, and dairy products has jumped by 400 percent and annual fresh food trade volume has reached QR10bn.
“The increase of livestock will be done by encouraging the owners of the livestock (farm animals) to raise the production of red meat. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry will buy livestock from owners of farm animals by good prices and aim is to invest in sheep breeding,” said Al Marri while speaking to Qatar Radio.
The Ministry of Municipality and Environment recently has created Food Security Department under a recent administrative restructuring of the Ministry to enhance the state efforts to ensure food security in the country.
Regarding the plan to increase fish production, Al Marri pointed out that the Fish farming projects produce about 15,000 tonnes in a year of fish and this production is expected to increase to 21,000 tonnes in a year by 2023.
About the newly Food Security Department and its task , he clarifies that the aim of establishing it s is to put and develop strategies and plans in terms of increasing production and overcoming difficulties for local projects. Also to coordinate with the concerned authorities to allocate land for food security and issue licenses to companies contributing in this regard.
He also has defined Food security as providing food at a convenient price and making access to it easy. “One of the main pillars that the department depends on to achieve the food security is to provide strategic storage for longer periods and in large quantities, especially products that need to be cultivated in places which a lot of water and certain climatic conditions,” said Al Marri.
Among other pillars also to secure the sources of imports and not rely on one or two sources, but provide up to about five sources.
