The central market has been receiving continuous supplies of fresh local farm produce, which are available at reasonable prices.
Many customers have expressed preference for the local produce, stressing that more support should be given to the country’s farms as well as those investing in the agriculture sector, local Arabic daily Arrayah reports.
In addition, they have lauded the use of advanced techniques that has extended the production season of local farms, the report states.
Saleh al-Omrani, a citizen, said locally produced vegetables are of good quality and available at prices that are lower than those of similar that are imported into the country and sold in retail outlets.
He said consumers have developed a trust in local vegetable products as these mostly depend on organic fertilisers, in addition to being displayed fresh on a daily basis – arriving at the market straight from the farm.
Nasser al-Merri, another citizen, also expressed preference for local green vegetables and noted that it was “quite an achievement to provide these high-quality products at such prices during this time of the year”.
Mutlaq al-Dossari, another Qatari national, said the prices of vegetables at the central market are reasonable and suit the budgets of all, thanks largely to the availability of locally produced items. He called for more support to Qatari farmers and investors in order to provide a further boost to the agriculture sector.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Wahid, another consumer, said the demand has increased considerably for sweet melons and watermelons due to the heat. Good stocks are available, with many of them coming from Iran, he noted, adding that the prices of different vegetables continued to be stable, especially the locally produced ones.
Besides vegetables, various other types of locally produced food items have been in the focus since the start of the blockade last month, it is found. Also, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce had earlier launched an initiative that aims to “support and market national products in the local market, support and ease investors’ access to consumers and open markets to merchants and investors seeking to launch new products”.
The initiative, it is hoped, will contribute to the State’s efforts to prioritise national products as part of its strategic plans and pillars of its economic diversification strategy aimed at achieving Qatar National Vision 2030.