MME weighs plant factories to ensure year-round produce of leafy vegetables

Doha: The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has planned to establish plant factories soon to ensure production of leafy vegetables round the year.

The plan is under MME’s food security strategy to increase self-sufficiency in fresh food production. 

“The agricultural season in the country is limited to some months so the idea behind the plan is to provide leafy vegetables year-round with the help of proposed plant factories,” said Director of Agricultural Research Department at MME Hamad Saket Al Shammari during a Qatar TV programme.

He said the move of the MME is to involve private sector to make investment in agricultural sector to ensure food security.

A plant factory is a closed growing system which enables farmers to achieve constant production of vegetables all year around. The facility utilises artificial control of light, temperature, moisture, and carbon dioxide concentrations.

Speaking about the development of agriculture sector in the country, Al Shammari said: “The number of agricultural farms reached to 953 at present from 832 farms in 2017 which produce vegetables in large quantity and supply them to local market.”

To a question about adopting latest technologies to increase agricultural produce, Al Shammari said: “The Agricultural Research Department is conducting a research work with Qatar University that will help equipping greenhouses with modern technologies. We reached in the advance stage in the research work and the result will be announced later.”

Al Shammari said that second national strategic plan of food security focused on increasing favorite vegetables for citizens and expatriates like zucchini, tomato, eggplant and cucumber.

“The food security strategy is based on four pillars – raising quantity of local fresh food products, enhancing supply chain inside the country, improving strategic reserves and international trade,” said Al Shammari.

Speaking about the Ministry’s support to encouraging farmers to increase the produce, Al Shammari said that the farmers were provided with platforms to market their produce directly to customers without middlemen.

He said that the Ministry also provided greenhouses, tools, equipment and fertilizers among many more to farmers.