Qatar’s National Food Security Strategy has built a resilient food supply chain and increased local production and storage capacity, an official reported in Doha.
Director of the Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality, Dr. Masoud Jarallah Al Marri said that the National Food Security Strategy diversified Qatar's sources of food import, with countries such as Canada, Australia, and India. This strategy proved its efficiency during the geopolitcal crises caused by the Russia-Ukraine War.
He said Qatar National Food Security Strategy 2018-2023 aims to provide quality foods at reasonable prices through local production, strategic storage, and securing import sources.
“The strategic storage capacity of basic food commodities of Qatar reached six months. Private food companies are also operating with storage capacity with up to four weeks to cope with any disruption in food supply chain,” said Al Marri.
He also noted, that commodities, such as wheat, rice, edible oil, milk powder, beans, lentils, and dried fruits among others, are being provided to Qatar through strategic storage facilities, as the country is not capable of producing them.
As for local production, Qatar has become self-sufficient in fresh milk and chicken. Al Marri, explaining the consumption pattern of chicken in the country, said 20 percent fresh chicken and 80 percent imported frozen chicken is being consumed.
He also said the local production of table eggs has reached 55 percent of the country's total demand. “The strategy targeted to increase the production of table eggs to 70 percent [of local demand] by next year.
"The self-sufficiency in producing five basic types of vegetables has reached 46 percent, with the aim to increase it to 70 percent," the Food Security Department Director said.
Qatar has become self-sufficient by up to 70 percent in dates, 75 percent in fish, and production of red meat has reached 20 percent. Projects for fattening livestock were launched in coordination with the private sector to increase meat production to 30 percent. For the remaining 70 percent, the country depends on imported frozen meat.
As a result of the support provided by the Ministry of Municipality to producers in the agricultural sector including vegetables, livestock and fish, Qatar has made a significant leap in achieving higher levels of self-sufficiency in agricultural products, reported the Peninsula.
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