The Qatar Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has planned to establish plant factories soon to ensure production of leafy vegetables round the year. The plan is under the Ministry’s food security strategy to increase self-sufficiency in fresh food production.
“The agricultural season in the country is limited to some months so the idea behind the plan is to provide leafy vegetables year-round with the help of proposed plant factories,” said Director of Agricultural Research Department at MME, Hamad Saket Al Shammari.
He said the move of the MME is to involve private sector to make investment in agricultural sector to ensure food security.
A plant factory enables farmers to achieve constant production of vegetables all year around. The facility utilizes artificial control of light, temperature, moisture, and carbon dioxide concentrations.
Al Shammari said that second national strategic plan of food security focused on increasing favorite vegetables for citizens and expatriates like zucchini, tomato, eggplant and cucumber.
Thepeninsulaqatar.com quoted Al Shammari as saying: “The food security strategy is based on four pillars – the rising quantity of local fresh food products, enhancing supply chain inside the country, improving strategic reserves and international trade.”
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