Doha, Qatar: Vegetable markets and Mahaseel sold over 37,000 tonnes of local vegetables in 2024, marking the huge success of the Ministry of Municipality’s marketing programmes to encourage farmers to increase their produce.
With the participation of 150 local farms, the vegetable markets sold 13,081 tonnes of local vegetables during the 2023-24 agricultural season, an increase of manifold compared to the 889 tonnes sold in the 2012-13 season when they were launched.
This came in the 2024 annual report of the Ministry of Municipality, which reviews the most prominent achievements and qualitative projects in the implementation of the Ministry’s strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030.
Mahaseel for Marketing and Agriculture Services Company received 24,000 tonnes of vegetables worth QR68m from 199 local farms in 2024.
Mahaseel aims to support local agricultural production and contribute to achieving self-sufficiency by marketing farmers’ products and providing agricultural services under the supervision of the Ministry of Municipality. The company purchases vegetables through the pre-contracting (Daman) and daily contracting programmes.
The Agricultural Affairs Department at the Ministry provides local farms with marketing platforms for agricultural produce, including five vegetable markets (yards for selling agricultural produce), two programmes at major commercial outlets, and Mahaseel for Marketing and Agriculture Services Company.
Meanwhile, as many as 880 tonnes of dates were supplied in 2024, compared to 513 tonnes in 2006 under ‘Dates Supply Programme’.
The Ministry of Municipality, represented by the Department of Agricultural Affairs, supports local date production as part of its efforts to enhance food security and develop the agricultural sector. In 2006, the Ministry launched a project to purchase dates from farm owners to develop date production in Qatar.
The Ministry provides agricultural support that focuses on developing farms and increasing their production by providing greenhouses, modern irrigation systems, hydroponics, production requirements such as seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and packaging boxes, in addition to supporting the marketing and improving the quality of local agricultural products.
Agricultural machinery and equipment are provided to farmers through three agricultural service centres - North Center in Zubarah, Central Center in Umm Salal, and the South Center in Al Shahaniya - according to land preparation, including ploughing and levelling.
Agricultural inputs aim to provide production requirements for farmers, including seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and vegetable marketing boxes for 400 farms. The total target number for the 2024/2025 agricultural season is 441 farms.
The Ministry of Municipality encourages farmers to switch from traditional irrigation systems to a modern irrigation system to rationalise water consumption and increase the cultivated area.
As many as 276 farms received a modern irrigation system during 2023, and 124 farms in 2024.
