DOHA:The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has launched an initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipality and Widam Food Company to subsidize the prices of sheep during Eid Al Adha 1444 AH for citizens, starting from Thursday until Saturday (July 1, 2023).
In a statement, the MoCI asserted that such an initiative aims to regularize markets during Eid Al Adha, provides commodities with affordable prices, stabilize prices and create a balance between supply and demand, stabilize local market during seasons in which demand for supply increases, as well as reduce unjustified price spikes in red meat during these seasonal periods.
An agreement was reached with Widam Food Company to provide local and imported sheep to be sold with subsidized and reduced prices to citizens based on sheep weight and determined prices.
Local sheep (40 Kg and above) will cost QR1,000, and imported sheep (40 Kg and above) at QR1,000, the MoCI said.
The ministry stated that Widam Food Company will provide the appropriate livestock pens and is committed to never selling out slim sheep or sheep that do not comply with conditions and specifications set forth in the Islamic Sharia or with the weight and sizes that have been agreed with MoCI, pointing out that the sheep would be sold at the slaughterhouses of Widam Food Company in Al Shamal, Al Khor, Umm Salal, Al Wakra and Al Sheehaniya.
According to the terms of the initiative, sheep will be sold to each Qatari citizen who shall present a valid ID card. The buyer should be at least 20 years old and shall have the right to purchase only one sheep.
The ministry pointed out that fees of loading, slaughtering, cutting and packaging are QR50, including QR34 as loading fees and QR16 fees of slaughtering, cutting and packaging through separate coupons, outlining that if consumers do not want to promptly slaughter their sheep, beneficiary citizens can use slaughtering, cutting and packaging coupons from the beginning of the initiative until the end of Dec. 2023.
In addition, the MoCI asserted that it would intensify its inspection campaigns to ensure sellers adhere to the subsidized prices and integrity of sales' procedures, urging all consumers to report any violations through its communication channels.