A customer buying vegetables from winter vegetable market that opened yesterday
The Agricultural Affairs Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), opened yesterday all five winter vegetable markets for the season 2019-20 offering fresh vegetables and herbs.
The winter vegetable markets, located in Al Sheehaniya, Al Mazrouha, Al Wakrah, Al Khor-Al Zakhira and Al Shamal will run from Thursday to Saturday from 7am to 3pm throughout the season.
The markets offered on the opening day yesterday a number of farm fresh local vegetables in large quantity including cucumber, zucchini, eggplants, pumpkin, Leafy vegetables and herbs like spinach and coriander were also available at the markets.
The markets offered agricultural products directly to customers without middlemen at competitive prices. “A box of cucumber of about 7kg was available at Al Mazrouha winter vegetable market at QR20,” Mohamad Iqbal, A vendor at the Market told The Peninsula.
He said that a box of eggplant of 6kg was priced QR10 and a box of zucchini of 7kg was available at QR 22. “Spinach was sold yesterday at QR7 for a box of seven bundles at the rate of QR1 for a bundle,” said Iqbal.
He said that that harvest of vegetables at his farm began by the end of last month for this season. A total of 135 local farms are participating in the winter vegetable markets for this season, 15 farms more compared to the previous season, said the Ministry of Municipality and Environment in a release.
The highest number of farms 39 are participating in Al Khor-Al Zakhira winter vegetable market followed by Al Mazrouha at 34. The winter vegetable markets in Al Wakrah, Al Sheehaniya and Al Shamal are running with the participation of 27, 20 and 15 farms respectively.
The increase in participation this season shows the confidence of farm owners in winter vegetable markets provided by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment as platform for marketing their products. The markets provide options to the consumers and help reduce the prices of agricultural products in local market.
According to the Ministry over 31 percent of total local agricultural products were sold out through the marketing platforms provided by the MME at major commercial outlets throughout the country and winter vegetable markets shared 11 percent of the total sales.
Location for Al Wakrah market
Location for Al Sheehaniya market
Location for Al Shamal market
Location for Al Mazrouha market
Location for Al Khor-Al Zakhira market
