(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
QNA
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality, represented by the Food Security Department, organised a joint State of Qatar and Republic of Korea knowledge exchange workshop on smart farming.
The workshop was held in cooperation with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency KOTRA, the Hyundai Research Institute, and PlanTFarm, with the attendance of officials, heads of organisations and companies, and department managers from both countries.
In a statement, Director of the Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality Masoud Jarallah Al Marri said that Qatar places significant importance on food security and that in an effort to enhance food security, the country has focused on increasing local production of agricultural food products to achieve safe levels of self-sufficiency, especially for perishable vegetables.
Dr. Al Marri noted that Qatar is leveraging modern technology, expanding the use of high-tech greenhouses, and developing agricultural systems, with the Ministry of Municipality providing various support packages to improve productivity and has initiated several greenhouse projects aimed at reaching the targeted self-sufficiency rate.
He added that in order to address the challenges facing agricultural production in Qatar such as the scarcity of natural resources such as water and arable land, in addition to the harsh climatic conditions including high temperatures and humidity, the agriculture and food security sector actively sought smart and sustainable solutions to ensure agricultural production and achieving the targeted levels of self-sufficiency.
Al Marri noted that the Food Security Department proposed a project under the knowledge exchange initiatives offered by the Korean government through KOTRA, which aims to analyse, identify, and assess the potential impacts of climate change on food production in Qatar and to propose policies, measures, and strategies to mitigate these impacts, such as protected agriculture, and to enhance economic cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the State of Qatar.
He said that the project has officially commenced in January 2024, with its implementation being assigned to the Hyundai Research Institute and PlanTFarm. Al Marri explained that the project included data collection conducted during reciprocal visits and meetings, with a team of Korean experts and researchers visiting Qatar to assess the situation and review the technology used in agriculture, after having studied the relevant policies and procedures related to agricultural production, particularly regarding adaptation to climatic conditions.
Moreover, Dr. Al Marri pointed out that a group of Qatari specialists and stakeholders also visited South Korea to discuss the interim report and to visit certain agricultural production institutions there to examine the latest food production technologies.
He expressed hope that this project will provide technological solutions and policy recommendations that Qatar could adopt and that it strengthens economic cooperation between the two countries.
The workshop discussed the final report of the joint Qatar and Korea knowledge exchange workshop on smart farming, analysing the current situation in Qatar. The report also highlights the best practices and advanced technologies used in South Korea and offers proposed policies and measures to enhance the resilience of food production systems in Qatar.
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