QNA
Doha
The Ministry of Municipality (MoM), represented by the Food Security Department, organised a joint Qatar-Korea knowledge exchange workshop on smart farming. The workshop was held in collaboration with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), the Hyundai Research Institute, and PlanTFarm, and was attended by officials, heads of organisations, companies and department managers from both countries.
Director of the Food Security Department at the MoM, Masoud Jarallah Al Marri, emphasised the importance of food security for the State of Qatar. He noted that Qatar is focused on increasing local agricultural production, particularly of perishable vegetables, to achieve self-sufficiency. The country is leveraging modern technology, expanding the use of high-tech greenhouses, and developing agricultural systems, with the ministry providing support packages to enhance productivity. Several greenhouse projects have been initiated to reach the targeted self-sufficiency rate.
Al Marri highlighted the challenges facing agricultural production in Qatar, including limited natural resources such as water and arable land, and harsh climatic conditions like high temperatures and humidity. To address these challenges, Qatar’s agriculture and food security sector is seeking smart and sustainable solutions to ensure agricultural production and achieve self-sufficiency. The Food Security Department proposed a project under the knowledge exchange initiatives offered by the Korean government through KOTRA. This project aims to analyse, identify, and assess the potential impacts of climate change on food production in Qatar, and propose policies, measures and strategies to mitigate these impacts, such as protected agriculture. The project also aims to enhance economic cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the State of Qatar.
The project officially commenced in January 2024, with its implementation assigned to the Hyundai Research Institute and PlanTFarm. It includes data collection conducted during reciprocal visits and meetings, with a team of Korean experts and researchers visiting Qatar to assess the situation and review the agricultural technology used. They studied the relevant policies and procedures related to agricultural production, particularly in adapting to climatic conditions. Additionally, a group of Qatari specialists and stakeholders visited South Korea to discuss the interim report and to visit agricultural production institutions to examine the latest food production technologies.
Al Marri expressed hope that this project will provide technological solutions and policy recommendations that Qatar could adopt, and that it strengthens economic cooperation between the two countries. The workshop discussed the final report of the joint Qatar-Korea knowledge exchange workshop on smart farming, analysing the current situation in Qatar. The report highlights best practices and advanced technologies used in South Korea and offers proposed policies and measures to enhance the resilience of food production systems in Qatar.