Under the patronage of HE Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment inaugurated on Tuesday Qatar's Eighth International Agricultural Exhibition (AgriteQ) and the Second Qatar International Environmental Exhibition (EnviroteQ), which will last 4 days at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC).

The inauguration was attended by a number of Their Excellencies Sheikhs, Ministers, heads of missions accredited to the State, owners of companies and farms, and those interested in the agricultural and environmental sectors from the State of Qatar and abroad.

On this occasion, HE Minister of Municipality and Environment Eng. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie explained that the exhibition, although held this year under exceptional circumstances and precautionary measures, cast a shadow over the method of presentation and methods of communication with companies and visitors. It, however, found a great resonance among those operating in the agricultural and environmental sectors and succeeded in attracting many interested people from different countries of the world.

His Excellency added that this edition of AgriteQ is attended by more than 200 exhibitors, 42 countries and more than 65 Qatari farms. This year's edition also witnessed the establishment of the honey and dates market, which is a market dedicated to producers from Qatar and the world to display their finest products and provide an opportunity to work with distributors, suppliers and consumers directly, as well as the nursery market, which includes a selection of nurseries to display their production within the set plan to achieve self-sufficiency of flowers, trees, herbs and green spaces, in addition to the laboratory that examines the quality of the products.

HE Minister pointed out AgriteQ and EnviroteQ come within the framework of the State's plan for food security, which includes the holding of international exhibitions that act as a forum for farmers, producers, interested people, production companies and consumers, indicating that the agricultural sector in Qatar is developing significantly in terms of animal, agricultural, poultry and dairy production.

He hoped that this year's edition will achieve its goals, noting that there are a number of contracts and memoranda of understanding related to the production of fodder, sheep-raising, fish production, and organic agriculture that will be signed on the sidelines of the exhibition, as well as launching many initiatives for the benefit and growth of the agricultural sector.

His Excellency said that the agricultural sector receives great attention from the State and there are a number of major projects that are being carried out in various regions to enhance agricultural and animal production, pointing to the importance of this event in supporting farms to display their products, communicate with sales outlets, consumers, merchants, and service providers, benefit from the technology and modern farming techniques available in the exhibition, exchange experiences and information, and display their capabilities that allow them to grow, expand and form partnerships.

For his part, HE Assistant Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al-Thani explained that AgriteQ and EnviroteQ are being developed every year in terms of display methods, diversity of fields, participations and their quality, which reflects the State's interest in the agricultural sector and food security in general.

His Excellency expressed his satisfaction with the numbers reached by the State of Qatar in achieving food security and fresh goods that can be produced locally from plants, vegetables, meat, poultry and dairy. He pointed out that a large part of the needs of the local market was covered and some Qatari companies started exporting, especially as the demand for the Qatari product is increasing day by day.

Qatar's production of tomatoes reached 117%, while it reached 100% for cucumbers and fish, except for the types not available in the Gulf waters, HE Assistant Deputy Minister said, adding that self-sufficiency also reached very large percentages of milk, meat and fish, reducing the import of them and maintaining the price level.

He announced that a number of fish farms have begun to work and produce, and during the next month two fish factories will be opened to enhance the added value of low-priced fish with a production capacity of 2,000 tons annually, and that there is an initiative to produce 600 tons of tilapia fish in cooperation with Qatar Development Bank and the establishment of two farms that meet 40% of Qatar's needs for this type of fish.

He added that on the sidelines of the exhibition, contracts and memoranda of understanding will be signed to establish 3 factories for the production of fodder and 9 farms for sheep-raising, in addition to the inauguration of a plant for the production of "paper", which is the largest in the Middle East, with an area of 3,000 square meters and consists of 10, and focuses on all leafy vegetables in cooperation with one of the major Japanese companies working in this sector, and depends on naturally fertilized water and chemically fertilized water.