Today, the Ministry of Municipality announced the launch of the tenth Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition, from the 15th to the 19th of this month, at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, with the participation of more than 675 companies specialized in agriculture, food and animal production, from 55 countries.
This came during a press conference held by the Ministry to present the program and activities of the exhibition, which gains its importance from being a strategic platform for exploring new horizons for the advancement of the Qatari agricultural sector, as it is the backbone of food security that comes at the forefront of strategic priorities to achieve self-sufficiency.
In this context, Eng. Muhammad Ali Al-Khoury, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Exhibition, Director of the Public Parks Department at the Ministry of Municipality, said:" The keenness of the State of Qatar to organize the exhibition confirms the growing interest of the state in the agricultural sector in recent years, with the aim of achieving great leaps in domestic production to increase self-sufficiency rates and achieve food security, especially after the challenges posed by the Corona pandemic, and the interruption in the supply chains around the world, which made achieving self-sufficiency a very vital matter for various countries".
He added during the press conference that this year’s session is a continuation of the success of the previous sessions, which witnessed a local and international presence, as the exhibition is a direct gateway to accessing the latest global technological innovations that support the national trend towards expanding the scope of agricultural production to meet the local demand for food products, according to the objectives. "Comprehensive plan for food security", which represents a comprehensive framework for improving the level of self-sufficiency according to best practices and the latest agricultural and food technologies. Al-Khoury pointed to the success of the exhibition during the past sessions in laying solid foundations for the localization of advanced technologies and the implementation of ambitious projects that had the greatest impact in raising self-sufficiency rates of vegetables, meat, fish, poultry and eggs.
For his part, Mr. Youssef Khaled Al-Khulaifi, Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Exhibition and Director of the Agricultural Affairs Department at the Ministry of Municipality, said:" The State of Qatar has succeeded in achieving remarkable achievements in terms of developing the agricultural sector, in light of the insightful vision and wise directives of the wise leadership, which placed the development of natural resources, especially agricultural, at the top of national priorities to achieve self-sufficiency and food security, with a focus on adopting policies, strategies and technologies. Innovative, environmentally sustainable".
And he indicated that the State of Qatar sets its sights on promoting optimal investment in technology, research and development and food control, as basic pillars for raising the volume and quality of agricultural and animal production in safe and sustainable ways, in line with the objectives of "Qatar National Development Strategy"represented in increasing the proportion of local production of livestock to 30 percent, and of fish to 65 percent, in a step in support of "Qatar National Vision 2030"To consolidate Qatar’s leadership as an advanced country capable of achieving sustainable development and providing a decent life for its people.
Al-Khulaifi pointed out during the press conference that the organization of the exhibition comes within the continuous efforts of the Ministry of Municipality to support the agricultural sector in the country, including the launch of several marketing programs and initiatives for the products of farm owners, such as the establishment of yards for the Qatari agricultural product, the distinctive vegetables programs and Qatar Farms, and each of the contracting programs. Advances with farmers (Daman), and the daily supply program, in cooperation with Mahaseel Company, with the aim of enhancing the value of the local vegetable product.
In a related context, the Organizing Committee of the Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition announced the organization of a scientific conference accompanying the exhibition. Climate change affects food security.
Dr. Muhammad Saif Al-Kuwari, Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the exhibition, said:" The scientific conference accompanying the exhibition will host a group of scientists, experts, researchers and academics in various agricultural sectors"About 50 speakers will participate in the conference to present 50 scientific research papers over a period of 5 days and in two periods, a morning from 11 am to 1:30 pm, and an evening one from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.
And he indicated that the number of attendees registered to date at the conference site has reached about 1,500 participants, and most of the participants are from the companies participating in the agricultural exhibition, along with a number of researchers, experts, officials in the government and private sectors, and academics.
During the press conference, Al-Kuwari reviewed the work program of the scientific conference, as the first day will be devoted to initiatives, opportunities and projects in the agricultural sector around the world, while the second day will be devoted to studies and research, and reviewing scientific papers from the Ministry of Municipality, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, companies operating in the agricultural sector, and some scientists. In national universities and research centers, to focus on the contribution of land plants in Qatar to food security, cultivating soils and substrates that improve plant growth, and assessing the food profile of Qatar through energy, food and water approaches, sustainable landscaping and others.
He added that the third day of the conference will be devoted to talking about home farming and the initiative "implant"As for the fourth day, it will include workshops on raising awareness of food safety, and reviewing the national strategy for food security 2023-2030, while the fifth and final day will be devoted to agricultural technology and agricultural services, and a review of artificial insemination and its importance in genetic improvement in sheep, in addition to other topics that include innovation to confront climate change. Preserving the environment, turning oil platforms into coral reefs for fisheries, and environmental sustainability.
It is worth noting that the exhibition will host specialized exhibition areas, such as: "veterinary products area"And"Food industries area"In addition to the vegetable market, which will include about 110 Qatari farms, offering the public their production of fresh vegetables and fruits, the honey and dates market, as well as daily cooking shows, to prepare a wide range of traditional Qatari dishes using local products.
