File photo used for representational purposes
Doha: The Ministry of Municipality (MoM) has intensified its support for Qatar’s agricultural sector by mobilising additional resources to deliver faster and more efficient services to farmers, especially during the peak cultivation season.
Head of the Agricultural Guidance and Services Section at the Ministry Ahmed Salem Al Yafei highlighted the significant strides taken under the Agricultural Services Program aimed at ensuring sustainability in local food production while speaking to Qatar TV recently.
According to Al Yafei, the Ministry has increased the quantity and quality of agricultural machinery available to farm owners, including the introduction of modern equipment and the use of flatbed transport vehicles to deliver machinery directly to farms with minimal delay.
These efforts have significantly reduced waiting times for essential services such as land ploughing and levelling, from up to eight days previously to a maximum of two or three working days today.
The Agricultural Services Program, developed by the Ministry, provides comprehensive support throughout the farming process.
The first phase focuses on mechanisation services, which are essential at the beginning of the season.
This includes ploughing the land and levelling it using graders if the terrain is uneven.
These services are particularly in demand between June and August.
Following this, the Ministry provides farmers with production inputs such as fertilisers, seeds, and pesticides to support the next stage of cultivation.
The third phase of the program offers marketing assistance to help farmers sell their produce.
These marketing outlets include local platforms such as “vegetable markets,” “Qatar Farms,” and the “Premium Product” initiative—all of which are designed to strengthen the continuity of agricultural production in Qatar.
To ensure accessibility, the Ministry has established three regional agricultural service centres across the country.
The northern region is served by a centre located in Rawdat Al Faras, which caters to farms in the northern areas.
The central region is supported by a service centre in Umm Al Seneem, while a centre in Al Sheehaniya covers the southern region.
Each centre is staffed with qualified agricultural engineers who provide technical consultations, schedule mechanisation services, and assist with other agricultural needs.
Additionally, farmers facing issues such as palm tree pests can request on-site support through an online system available on the Ministry’s website.
Once a request is submitted under the “Palm Pest Control Service,” a specialised agricultural engineer visits the farm to inspect the problem and provide appropriate solutions.
The Ministry is also actively enhancing digital access to agricultural services.
Currently, around 85 to 90 percent of all services offered by the agricultural sector of the Ministry are available online.
These include requests for farm renewal, issuance of agricultural production certificates, soil testing, and various other documentation.
Farmers are encouraged to visit the Ministry’s e-services portal to explore the full range of available services.
Al Yafei noted that, in the past, service requests required long wait times due to the high demand and limited resources.
However, with the introduction of new and modern machinery, the Ministry can now serve one or two farms per day per machine, dramatically improving service delivery times.
He emphasised that the Ministry aims to further streamline services so that farmers can submit their requests entirely online without needing to visit a service centre in person.
In closing, Al Yafei expressed gratitude to Qatari farmers for their growing dedication to improving both the quality and quantity of local agricultural products.
He also urged citizens and residents to support local produce, which he described as far superior to imported goods in terms of freshness and quality.
The Ministry of Municipality’s strategic investments in agricultural infrastructure and digital services reflect its commitment to national food security and the empowerment of local farmers, ensuring a resilient and productive agricultural sector for the future of Qatar.
