Qatar Chamber hosts workshop on agricultural efficiency

Qatar Chamber recently hosted a workshop on the ‘Mechanisms to Increase Production, Improve the Efficiency of Agricultural Activities, and Maximise Profitability in the Sector.’

The event witnessed the announcement of 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 Qatar Chamber acting general manager Ali Bu Sherbak al-Mansouri, Administrative and Financial Affairs Department director Hussain Yousef al-Abdulghani, the chamber’s Food Security Committee member Dr Hamad al-Saad, and the research team.

Speaking at the event, al-Mansouri 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 Qatar’s agriculture sector and commended the collaboration between Qatar University and the University of Western Sydney.

For his part, al-Saad emphasised 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 maximising 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 fertilisers.

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 fertilisers by 50% to 75%, thereby reducing pollution, managing resources, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices," he added.

The research concluded by utilising the AquaCrop model for precise crop yield and resource predictions, determining optimal planting times to align with favourable climate conditions, maximising water and nitrogen use efficiency to enhance sustainable crop productivity, and providing targeted support to smallholder farmers to improve resource management techniques.

On the sidelines of the workshop, the chamber honoured the research team for their efforts in exploring techniques to advance the agricultural sector in Qatar.