With over 675 exhibitors showcasing their products, cutting-edge technologies, and solutions for sustainable agriculture and food production, the 10th Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition (AgriteQ) 2023 is proving to be a huge draw.

The third day of proceedings at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre featured numerous events, seminars, and workshops focused on different sectors of the agricultural industry.

Welcome to the evening of the @Gharsa121 initiative for home cultivation being part of the #AgriteQ2023 events.
It is a perfect opportunity for people interested in home cultivation to exchange valuable knowledge

— وزارة البلدية | Ministry Of Municipality (@albaladiya) March 17, 2023

The ‘Gharsa’ workshop, which focused on enabling participants to grow their own fresh produce at home and thereby promote sustainable living and self-sufficiency, was a highlight event.

In areas where access to fresh produce is limited, ‘Gharsa’ equips individuals with the tools and knowledge to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs, even in small spaces.

In addition to fresh produce and vegetables, local farms are also showcasing a wide variety of highest-quality local honey and dates for the public to purchase.

The government’s initiatives to support local farmers, such as providing subsidies, training, and modern farming equipment, have encouraged more people to enter the sector and improve the quality and quantity of their produce.

The exhibition aims to promote Qatar’s goal of achieving self-sufficiency in food production, reducing the country’s dependence on imports, and ensuring food security for its population.

On its third day, the #AgriteQ2023 witnessed a great participation of children during the live cooking shows, along with professional chefs who prepared healthy and delicious meals using local agricultural produce.

— وزارة البلدية | Ministry Of Municipality (@albaladiya) March 17, 2023

Qatar is expected to launch their new food security strategy next month. The strategy will focus on increasing agricultural output in the summer by adopting advanced technologies and providing support to farmers as per their needs.

“Qatar National Food Security Strategy 2023-30 is expected to launch by the end of April. Now we’re developing a new strategy following Qatar National Vision 2030,” said Ministry of Municipality’s Food Security Department Director Dr Masoud Jarallah Al Marri.

He said the new strategy was based on three axes — maintaining achievements that were made during the previous strategy, completing the remaining goals of QNV2030 and ensuring sustainability through the conservation of natural resources.

“The first axis is local production, which has been merged with local marketing. The second axis is a strategic reserve and early warning system while the third is international trade and foreign investments with the support of Hassad Foods and the local private sector,” said Al Marri.

The various challenges were discussed and effective ways to develop agriculture were reviewed in order to achieve self-sufficiency and support food security efforts in the country.#AgriteQ2023 #Qatar

— وزارة البلدية | Ministry Of Municipality (@albaladiya) March 17, 2023

He said the self-sufficiency rate of Qatar in food production had reached advanced levels in fresh chicken, eggs, red meat, fresh milk and fresh fish.

The new strategy will focus on producing vegetables during summer by adopting modern farming techniques and providing agricultural support to farmers according to their needs.

He said the National Food Security Strategy aims at ensuring food security in the country by making available quality foods at reasonable prices for everyone in the country.

While Qatar’s self-sufficiency in vegetables increased from 20% in 2017 to 46% in 2022, the strategy targets to achieve 70% self-sufficiency. Local fresh milk production rose from 28% of total demand in 2017 to 100% in 2022. 

Self-sufficiency in fish production was recorded at 77%. The target is to increase production to 95%.

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