File picture of Al Wakra Yard.
Sales of local vegetables at vegetable markets (yards for agricultural produce) increased to 1,787 tonnes in December this year compared to 1,473 tonnes in the same month last year, showing a 21 percent growth.
The markets operating in Al Mazrouah, Al Khor and Al Zakhira, Al Shamal, Al Wakra and Al Sheehaniya sold, on average, 149 tonnes of vegetables daily during the study period.
With peak agricultural season, local farmers started harvesting larger quantity of vegetables which reflected in a big way on the markets, said the Ministry of Municipality in a statement.
The markets are now offering the customers various vegetables including potatoes, white onion, pumpkin, capsicum, leafy vegetables and many others directly from the farms without middlemen.
The markets received a large number of customers since their reopening on November 11, 2021, for the season. Apart from vegetables, the markets also offer other agricultural and local produce like fruits, honey, dates and mushrooms. In December, the markets sold over 500 tonnes of fruits, 783kg of honey, 947kg local dates and over six tonnes of mushrooms. The growing production of agricultural produce in the season reflects the support of the Agricultural Affairs Department to the farmers, the Ministry said.
Abdurrahman Al Sulaiti, General Supervisor of Vegetable Markets at the Ministry of Municipality, said the markets are attracting a large number of customers because they are offering high quality agricultural produce at low prices. Speaking in a Qatar TV programme recently, Al Sulaiti said local farms are using specialised technologies in their production process.
Speaking about the Ministry’ plan to open more such markets, he said the idea behind the vegetable markets was to provide platform to farmers close to their farms, enabling them to sell their produce directly to customers without the intervention by middlemen.
“So far five markets have been enough to sell the local produce. If need arises in the future, the Ministry will take decision to open new markets accordingly,” said Al Sulaiti.
He said the Ministry was not only providing marketing platform free of cost to farmers but they are also receiving support in other ways, such as provision of free boxes and cartons to pack the produce.
“Another purpose of the markets was to make local farms more productive by providing them with good yields for their efforts and investments.” Al Sulaiti said the growing number of farms participating in the initiative with a large number of products indicates success of the this endeavour by the Ministry.
He said all vegetable markets except Al Mazrouah Yard are open on weekends from Thursday to Saturday.
He said Al Mazrouah Yard which has been shifted to Umm Salal Central Market is operating as per the opening hours of the central market. Al Khor and Al Zakhira market is located between Al Khor and Al Zakhira.
