The Ministry of Municipality has completed its annual project of purchasing and receiving local dates for the country’s 2021 agricultural season.

The Department of Agriculture bought 816 tonnes of dates from 76 farms to support the local farming industry. The project was launched in 2006, with the allocation of 10m QAR for buying dates each year.

The Ministry of Municipality, represented by the Department of Agricultural Affairs, has put this effort and investment in place to support local farmers by diversifying the marketing outlets for the local agricultural products, especially all kinds of local dates.

Other than this project, the ministry also provides other marketing outlets for local farmers. Annual festivals are held, including events for dates on both a local and international level. This is meant to encourage local farmers in developing their production quantity and quality wise. Overall raising the production efficiency of it.

Qatar’s palm tree reserve is estimated at 650,000 to 700,000 trees spanning 2.2 hectares, and exports multiple varieties of dates through Hassad Food Company, with its subsidiary Nafco.

The Department of Agricultural Affairs has received the dates through a specialised technical team. The produce is inspected to ensure that it complies with technical conditions and specifications. This is done in cooperation with one of the local factories specialised in the field of manufacturing and packing dates.

While a big portion of these dates were allocated for marketing through consumer complexes, the other part was given to Qatar Charity and the Qatar Red Crescent for distribution to those in need, inside or outside the country.

In 2021, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment projected the country’s dates production for this year to reach 27,000 tonnes. That would equate to achieving a 76% rate of self–sufficiency in the country.

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