Local companies, especially farms across the country, witnessed brisk business during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr following a surge in demand for homegrown and ‘Made in Qatar’ products, a top official of the leading hypermarket chain, LuLu, has said.
“Local products were very well-received by customers in Qatar. Other than disruptions in the supply chain due to Covid-19-related restrictions, the demand for these local products have surged, especially during Ramadan,” Dr Mohamed Althaf, director, LuLu Group, told Gulf Times in a telephone interview.
Citing LuLu’s farm-to-store programme, Dr Althaf said the initiative proved successful during the holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, giving over 40 farms across Qatar access to the market, as well as prominent display on hypermarket shelves.
According to Dr Althaf, sourcing agricultural products from local farms has “elevated consumers’ trust” on a wide variety of items. He added that the role of local suppliers of produce, such as fruits and vegetables, was significant in terms of assuring availability, access to consumers, pricing, and freshness.
“The only consideration now is that agriculture is seasonal in Qatar. But during Ramadan, farms were able to cover almost everything. However, in the coming months we could expect a drop in production during the summer season,” he explained.
“If you look at it now, the average price of vegetables has dropped during Ramadan compared to around three to four years ago. That is mainly because the supplies are provided by local farms,” he noted, adding that this achievement proves that Qatar’s efforts on self-reliance and food security “are on track.”
Earlier, the US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC) released the print edition of the ‘Business Opportunity Report: Qatar’s Food Security’, which includes remarks from HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie.
The report, which was sponsored by LuLu Hypermarket and Y International USA Inc at the Gold level, provides key information on Qatar’s food security sector targeted for US companies.
According to the report, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) set out the Qatar National Food Security Strategy 2018-2023, which focused on four main pillars: international trade and logistics, domestic self-sufficiency, strategic reserves, and domestic markets.
This plan, in addition to the many infrastructure, agricultural, and related projects contributing to Qatar’s food security, has helped the country increase agricultural, fish, animal, and dairy production by 400% and increased self-sufficiency in vegetable production by 80% during the course of the blockade, the report stated.
 
 
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