To help improve the country’s food security, Qatar’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce has constructed 10 warehouses to stockpile sugar, cooking oil, rice and milk.

The facilities total 107,446 square meters and are capable of storing enough food for three to 10 months, depending on the commodity.

It’s not clear if the “strategic” warehouses are stockpiling food for the population as a whole in case of an emergency, or if this is building on an existing system in which food staples are distributed to Qataris for free.

The latter, however, looks more likely.

A statement from the MEC announcing the new warehouses also said the ministry is working to streamline the distribution of quotas from the ministry to Qatari citizens, who then collect foodstuffs from designated stores.

Chicken and water

Qatar has been working to improve its food security in recent years, both by encouraging more agricultural production within the Gulf state as well as acquiring farmland in other countries.

In recent years, this has included plans for a mega-poultry complex as well as agreements to source meat products from Kenya, Russia and other countries.

Qatar’s arid climate and limited fresh water have traditionally limited the amount of food that can be produced domestically to feed the country’s rapidly growing population.

Experts say the country would also be vulnerable to food shortages if its sole land border was ever closed.

Thoughts?