According to prominent Qatari agriculturist Nasser Ahmed al-Khalaf, Qatar’s agriculture sector has many potential projects in the pipeline, and some 150 hectares can be developed over the next few years.
Al-Khalaf, who is the managing director of Qatari agricultural development company Agrico, has been highlighting the importance of continuously investing in technology to further increase yields and help Qatar achieve food security.
“We have developed over 200,000sq m of horticulture projects, which has increased the local production by 7,000 tonnes annually,” he told Gulf Times. Al-Khalaf noted that part of these projects – all using hydroponics farming – includes the growing of several fruits and vegetables that will substantially reduce the reliance on imported fresh produce. He stressed that Qatar’s agriculture sector has been continually booming despite the Covid-19 pandemic in the past months, having no effect on production.
“We have proven at Agrico that we can reduce costs and increase crop yields to give a better return of investment,” al-Khalaf said, citing the efficiency of hydroponics farming compared to the use of conventional growing systems.