Victor Bolorunduro
Doha
The unjust blockade of Qatar by some nations is turning out positively for the country's coffee, tea and chocolate sector as Qatar is set to witness the opening of its first set of coffee-roasting plants soon, an industry expert has said.
Speaking to Qatar Tribune on the sidelines of the ongoing first edition of the Chocolate, Coffee and Tea (CTC) Festival in Doha, Fernando De Guama, CEO of Four and One, the event organisers, said,"Local companies are showing huge interest in the sector for opening commercial coffee roasting plant and [...] it is just a matter of months before we witness such a venture taking off."
De Guama said,"People in Qatar consume a lot of coffee, tea and chocolate and there are huge opportunities. Right now, some companies have started experimenting with fresh (green) beans and the plan to open the factory is in top gear," he said.
De Guama noted that the size of the CTC market in Qatar in riyal terms is roughly about QR17 billion.
"Due to the size of the demand which is related to the lifestyle of the people, an average coffee shop in Qatar is estimated to generate up to QR2 million in revenue per annum and if you multiply that by the number of shops we have in the country you can then understand how huge the market is," he said.
He added that the country is about to witness further growth in the sector as new variants of products are introduced.
"The increase in demand coupled with the remarkable innovations by industry players is giving a big boost to the sector. The positive impact of the rise in the number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are venturing into the sectors has also provided a major boost to the sector," De Guama added.
De Guama said that the blockade has had minimum or no effect on the sector in the country because the government has been very proactive and put all the necessary logistics in place to ensure the continuous free-flow of the products into the country.
Speaking about the Chocolate, Coffee and Tea (CCT) Festival, De Guama said that the festival will be an annual event to boost tourism in Qatar.
"This year, we have about 40 exhibitors mostly from Qatar and China. We have received interests from companies in Oman and Kuwait and other parts of the world who have indicated their willingness to participate in the next edition. So, the festival is growing bigger and I hope it will be one of the signature events on the Qatari tourism calendar," De Guama added.
The 10-day entry-free festival is open each night from 5pm to 12am and will be held until February 3.