(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Sanaullah Ataullah |
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: As many as 357 local farms received agricultural mechanisation services in 2023, 45 percent more than in 2022 when 250 farms benefitted.
The services include the provision of plough rails, plough transport vehicles, and land levelling machines which are required by farmers for ploughing and levelling operations.
The Ministry of Municipality represented by the Agricultural Affairs Department in coordination with Hassad Food Company provided the services to increase the agricultural produce under the National Food Security Programme which eyes to make Qatar self-sufficient in fresh food production.
A big majority, 95 percent, of applications submitted by the farms for agricultural mechanisation services have been responded to in 2023 compared to 61 percent in 2022.
The figures were given by the Ministry of Municipality in the 2023 third quarter (Q3) report on agricultural mechanisation service.
Director of the Agricultural Affairs Department Yousef Khaled Al Khulaifi said that agricultural mechanisation service comes within the strategy of developing the agricultural sector and keeping pace with technology using the best methods and modern means in agriculture.
He said that the service had begun in July 2023 targeting the farms registered in the country, providing agricultural machinery and equipment, including tractors, ploughs, and graders, through the three agricultural service centres - North Centre in Al Zubara, Central Centre in Umm Salal, and South Centre in Al Sheehaniya.
The Department of Agricultural Affairs implements many initiatives, projects, and services within the agricultural support plan for farm owners and the most prominent one is the initiative to expand greenhouses and modern irrigation systems.
It also provides seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and other requirements such as packing boxes for marketing local vegetables in various sales outlets.
Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Municipality, pays great attention to the agricultural sector and works hard to support and assist this vital sector to enhance food security and achieve sustainable agricultural development, as it is one of the most important strategic sectors in the country.
The Ministry is committed to providing all aspects of support and assistance to encourage and motivate producers in the agricultural sector with all its components, as they are strategic partners in achieving food security.
Over the past years, the Ministry, in coordination with relevant authorities, has been implementing many qualitative initiatives to develop the sector, which have resulted in Qatar securing advanced ranks in the food security index at the regional and global levels.
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