+ A
A -
Satyendra Pathak
Doha
In a major step towards achieving self-sufficiency in food production, Hassad on Monday officially launched Mahaseel for Marketing and Agri-Services Company to market local farm produce.
To be operational in the next six months, Mahaseel for Marketing and Agri-Services Company will directly purchase produce from local farmers and sell it in the local market.
Aimed at encouraging local farmers to increase quantity and enhance quality of local produce, the company will directly help 70 percent of the local farmers who do not have a proper mechanism to markets their products.
Talking to Qatar Tribune on the sidelines of an event to launch the company, Hassad Vice-President Ali Hilal al Kuwari said only 25 percent of the farmers in Qatar have their own supply chain to market their produce and the rest 75 percent need this kind of company to market their products.
"Out of the 1,300 farms in Qatar, only 400 are in production and sales phase, while the rest of them are only in the production phase as owners of these farms rely on family friends and acquaintances to sell their products. They do not have access to the proper supply chain to reach the vast majority of consumers in the country. Our aim is to support such farmers so that they get good price for their produce and focus only on increasing production," Kuwari said.
With the launch of this company, he said, more people will be encouraged to take up farming.
Earlier highlighting the mechanism to be adopted by the new company to cover all farms in the country, Hassad CEO Mohamed bin Badr al Sadah said,"Mahaseel shall begin operations in the next six months. The Ministry of Municipality and Environment will play to role of the regulator. The company will include targeted farms in three phases. The ministry will determine which farms will be included in each phase, as well as the quantities and prices."
He said the new company would focus on marketing more than 75 percent of farmers' production, which would give them a profitable return and encourage them to increase production.
Sadah expressed the hope that Mahaseel would be a reliable platform for the marketing of all agricultural products at the present time and animal products at a later date.
According to Kuwari, it will take two to three seasons to include all the farms in the country in new company's marketing system.
"Our first priority will be to include all those farms that are already producing huge quantities, but do not have a supply chain to market products," he said.
Kuwari revealed that the company will have its own packaging facility and its mark will be displayed on all the products that it will market.
Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs Assistant Undersecretary Faleh bin Nasser al Thani said,"Mahaseel is a platform for linking farmers and markets. It will save farmers from the burden of the marketing their products."
Qatar Chamber Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed al Thani said the launch of a local company for marketing and agricultural services is an important step to support the Qatari private sector and local farmers."It will help to link farmers to the local market and encourage them to increase production and improve quality," he said.
