Doha, February 21 (QNA) - Under the patronage of HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, HE Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah inaugurated today the activities of the 11th edition of the Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition 2024, at the Cultural Zone in the Expo 2023 Doha premises, with the participation of 259 local and international exhibitors.
Attending the opening ceremony of the 11th edition of the Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition 2024 (Aqriteq) were HE Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem Al Ghanem, HE Minister of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, HE Minister of Social Development and Family Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad, HE Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti, HE President of the Central Municipal Council Mohamed bin Ali Al Athba, and HE Chairman of Qatar Tourism Saad bin Ali Al Kharji.
Also present at the opening were several Their Excellencies Ambassadors accredited to the State of Qatar, as well as senior officials from governmental institutions and bodies, and officials from regional and international agricultural organizations.
On this occasion, HE Minister of Municipality affirmed Qatar's strong commitment to enhancing and supporting the agricultural sector and improving its productivity to contribute to enhancing food security in the country, in line with the Third National Development Strategy, which represents the final phase towards achieving the goals of Qatar's National Vision 2030.
During his speech, he explained that organizing this exhibition annually comes within Qatar's commitment to provide an important platform for showcasing the latest global agricultural technologies and innovations, stemming from the significant interest the state places in this vital sector, under its wise leadership.
He said that Qatar has made qualitative leaps in agricultural, animal, and fish production in recent years as a result of the continuous support provided by the wise government to this vital sector noting that since 2017, the state has been supporting agricultural producers, in addition to the projects and initiatives implemented by the Ministry of Municipality as part of its strategic plan over the past five years, aimed at contributing to achieving food security while ensuring efficient resource management and maintaining strong food safety standards.
He pointed out that the support provided by the state, alongside the efforts of agricultural producers, has contributed to a significant increase in productivity in recent years, manifested in a nearly 98 percent increase in the volume of fresh vegetable production compared to five years ago, an increase in the areas cultivated using greenhouses to about 700 hectares, with an increase of about 35 percent compared to 2019, leading to an increase in the self-sufficiency rate of local vegetables from 24 percent in 2017 to 42 percent in 2023, a 75 percent increase, in addition to achieving full self-sufficiency of 100 percent in fresh dairy and poultry products.
HE the Minister of Municipality, highlighted at the end of his speech the increase in the self-sufficiency rate of table egg production from about 14 percent in 2017 to about 37 percent in 2023, an increase of over 164 percent, in addition to the increase in the self-sufficiency rate of fresh red meat from 13 percent in 2017 to about 19 percent currently.
Following the official opening of the exhibition, HE the Minister of Municipality and Their Excellencies the ministers inaugurated the 11th edition of the Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition and conducted an inspection tour of the exhibition sections and the pavilions of participating countries and entities, where the Minister and the guests expressed their great admiration for what they witnessed at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, confirming the clear progress achieved by the agricultural sector in the State of Qatar.
Aqriteq 2024 includes many diverse events and activities covering agricultural, animal, educational, and entertainment fields.
The annual organization of the Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition aims to support local farmers and agricultural products by showcasing modern agricultural technologies and exploring new horizons to enhance the Qatari agricultural sector, contributing to increasing self-sufficiency rates and achieving food security.
The significance of this year's edition of the exhibition lies in its organization at the Expo 2023 Doha premises, as the participating countries in Expo will play a vital role in enriching and ensuring the success of the agricultural exhibition. It also represents an exceptional opportunity to enhance cooperation between Qatar and participating countries in the agricultural field. The exhibition also features extensive Qatari participation, including 106 local farms, 30 exhibitors of bee honey, and 40 exhibitors of local dates.
This year's edition of the agricultural exhibition comes as a continuation of the success achieved over the past 10 editions, which witnessed local and international participation, especially since the exhibition serves as a direct gateway to accessing the latest global technological innovations supporting the national trend towards expanding agricultural production to meet local demand for food products, in accordance with the objectives of the Third National Development Strategy, which represents the final phase towards achieving the goals of Qatar's National Vision 2030. (QNA)