(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Lani Rose R Dizon / The Peninsula
Poland will soon expand its agricultural exports to Qatar to include Polish agritech solutions which are also aimed at bringing information technology (IT) to Qatari farms, officials have said.
In an interview with The Peninsula, Polish Ambassador to Qatar H E Janusz Janke said that discussions are currently underway through Qatar-Poland Business Council to provide data management and other agritech solutions that will help further develop Qatari farms as well as accelerate their digitalisation.
To date, Poland is the largest agri-food industry producer in Central and Eastern Europe. The country is also a leading global producer of several agricultural food products. Janke said technological development have had a huge impact on the country's agri-food sector. He said Polish exports to Qatar reached $199.2m in 2020, while Qatari exports to Poland reached $527.1m during the same period. In 2019, Poland's agricultural exports to Qatar reached $18.2m. This included fruits, sweets, confectionery, frozen fruit and vegetables, non-alcoholic drinks, frozen meat, and others.
He added: 'Poland is very well known as an agricultural hub as well as for its high standards for the food processing industry. About 80 percent of our exports go towards the EU market. And one of the interesting destinations for us is Qatar. Polish exports to Qatar are growing.
'Recently, together with Qatar-Poland Business Council, we have also visited Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP). Together with the Qatari partners, we would like to develop some technologies for data management, which is also very important for farming. Because to improve the agricultural sector, you need to have access to a big number of data from the farms, added Janke.
He said discussions have also been made to conduct scientific studies on Qatar's horse farms, which are expected to materialise within this year.
'This new approach requires specialised information technology, biobanks, and data collection systems. And generally, the biotech sector related to farming is also a very promising field. In Europe, new technologies are being developed for market control and food security. And these technologies should be based on recent data from the market, Janke added.
Also speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition (AgriteQ) which concluded in Doha yesterday, Vice-President of the Qatar-Poland Business Council, Pawel Kulaga, said the Council is currently in the process of finishing contracts with Agrico, Qatar's largest producer of organic vegetables and fruits, as well as with the Qatar Meat.
'Contracts will be for the supply of chicken, as well as the supply of some technologies for the farms. We can also supply technological solutions, and not only food products for the Qatari agricultural market, said Kulaga.
He added: 'Many Polish companies specialise in hydroponics, LED lighting and irrigation systems which are very much in demand in Qatar. We also develop green house technologies and new tech solutions concerning biobase materials, food e-commerce, and waste tech. Poland is very good in managing waste and creating value from waste. We even produce gas from the waste. These are Polish companies which are very strong in the European market. And we are connecting them to the Qatari market.
'Also, there's a strong sector of venture capital in Poland investing into the agricultural sector. This is also an opportunity for Qatari investors to invest and create technology or produce food that could be supplied to Qatar. We also invite partners from Qatar to take a look at the Polish market, added Kulaga.
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