21 Investment Sectors | Agriculture 44 to stimulate agricultural, animal husbandry and fish production as well as to market agricultural products. The agricultural sector enjoys secial importance in the policies and directions of the State of Qatar, given its social and economic dimensions. It has been given more attention, so that its contribution to the domestic product has become significant and is appreciated. The global food security index can be adopted as a base of measurement and evidence that the country is moving in the right direction, as Qatar ranked first in the Arab world in this field, and ranked 22nd globally. Agricultural Production The local production of vegetables has witnessed a qualitative leap during the past years, achieving an increase of 100% during the past three years compared to previous years. The local production of vegetables in 2021 reached about 102 thousand tons, compared to 55 thousand tons in 2017. Thus, the self-sufficiency rate in locally grown vegetables increased from about 20% in 2017 to reach about 46% in 2022. This is an increase of about 130 percent, given that the target percentage is 70%. The percentage of self-sufficiency in red meat reached 18% and the target is 30%, while fresh poultry reached 100%, thus achieving the target percentage and the same in dairy and its derivatives, while the self-sufficiency rate of table eggs increased from about 14% in 2017 to reach About 36% in 2022, an increase of more than 157%. It is expected that end of this year will witness the achievement of the self-sufficiency rate of this product recommended by the National Food Security Strategy, which is to cover domestic demand by 70%. The area planted with vegetables has reached about 2766 hectares, which clearly indicates the significant growth in annual production rates. The total utilised area has reached about 141580 hectares, which is divided as follows: Single exposed vegetable crops 18,974 hectares, open-laden vegetable crops 493 hectares, protected vegetable crops 5564 hectares, single seasonal field crops 2563 hectares, loaded seasonal field crops 1239 hectares, single perennial forage crops 73559 hectares, perennial forage crops loaded 2023 hectares, permanent crops (Fruit), buildings 10.123 hectares, and the arable areas, according to last year’s statistics, amounted to about 298,695 hectares, while the number of greenhouses reached about 13,601 homes at the end of 2021. Smart Technology in Agriculture What is remarkable in the Qatari agricultural scene is the empowerment and consolidation of smart technology tools in agriculture. Qatari farms use modern (protected) farming systems. The Ministry has distributed 2436 ordinary greenhouses, in addition to distributing 1,712 refrigerated houses, 100 houses dedicated to modern hydroponics, and 100 rooms for drying dates to improve quality. The Ministry also concluded a contract with the “Masseel” company, which is affiliated with “Hassad” company, in order to provide agricultural services to farmers with the aim of improving the quality and speed of providing these services, including plowing and other agricultural operations, as well as providing various agricultural production inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and other requirements.
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