Qatar Chamber reviews mechanisms to improve agricultural efficiency

Qatar Chamber (QC) hosted a workshop on the "Mechanisms to Increase Production, Improve the Efficiency of Agricultural Activities, and Maximize Profitability in the Sector," to review findings from a "Scientific Research on Food Security in Qatar," conducted in collaboration between Qatar University and a research team from the University of Western Sydney in Australia.The workshop was attended by QC Acting General Manager Ali Bu Sherbak Al Mansori, Director of QC Administrative and Financial Affairs Department Hussain Yousef Al Abdulghani, member of the Chambers Food Security Committee Dr. Hamad Al Saad, and the research team.Speaking at the event, QC Acting General Manager Ali Bu Sherbak Al Mansori praised the efforts made by the research team, stressing its significance in developing the agricultural sector in Qatar.He underscored the importance of the research findings in improving productivity in Qatars agriculture sector and commended the collaboration between Qatar University and the University of Western Sydney.For his part, Dr. Hamad Al Saad emphasized the crucial role of scientific research in developing production methods and increasing the efficiency of Qatari farm production, affirming that this aligns with Qatar's efforts to achieve food security and self-sufficiency in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.He added that the results of this study will benefit the agricultural business community, contribute to maximizing productivity, serve farm owners, and help achieve self-sufficiency in vegetable production.During the workshop, Dr. Talaat Abdulfatah Ahmed from Qatar University provided a brief overview of the research, stating that its goal is to enhance the productivity of vegetable crops in both greenhouses and open fields while reducing the use of irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizers.Dr. Talaat explained that several entities from Qatar University, including the Environmental Science Center, the Agricultural Research Station, and the College of Economics and Entrepreneurship, collaborated on the research with four researchers from the University of Western Sydney.He highlighted that the research focused on cucumber, tomato, capsicum, and eggplant crops, noting that it spanned four years.The study also aimed to improve the quality of these crops, increase their shelf life, and reduce the amount of water and fertilizers by 50% to 75%, thereby reducing pollution, managing resources, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices, he added.The research concluded by utilizing the AquaCrop model for precise crop yield and resource predictions, determining optimal planting times to align with favorable climate conditions, maximizing water and nitrogen use efficiency to enhance sustainable crop productivity, and providing targeted support to smallholder farmers to improve resource management techniques.