Firm seeks to bring Canadian technology, expertise in agriculture to support Qatar’s self sufficiency drive

Plans are in the pipeline to bring in Canadian technology and expertise to support Qatar’s various initiatives in food security and self-sufficiency, according to a Canada-based food production company.Mahaseel Canada CEO Dr Faysal Zellama said the company’s exports “are already headed to Qatar” and are expected to be available in the country “in the coming days.” The products include Oil (canola, corn, sunflower), legumes, wheat, flour, honey, snacks, red meat, and canned vegetables.“We are attracting Qatari investments into Canada in the fields of agriculture, farming, food processing, through regular collaboration with Qatar Chamber and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce,” Zellama told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the inaugural Qatar Self-Sufficiency Exhibition (QSSE 2018), which concludes today (April 3) at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.Zellama said Mahseel is a Canadian-Qatari company based in Canada with an office in Qatar. Part of the company’s strategy is to setup production lines in Qatar for food processing and food packaging.“We can ship canola oil to Qatar in bulk, but this would need refining, which is a big project. Once we are able to integrate production, this can also help generate jobs in Qatar and create added value to the country’s economy,” Zellama pointed out.QSSE 2018 showcased 120 booths from Qatar, the region, as well as international participation from France, Germany, Austria, Tunisia, Netherlands, Brazil, Kuwait, Canada, Greece, Iran, China, Kurkistan, Turkey, and Finland. The exhibitors have been demonstrating solutions that can facilitate the country’s progressive diversification strategy and improve production line efficiencies and operations for a sustainable future.Abdulrahman Saleh al-Obaidly, chairman of Hisky for Tourism and Exhibitions, organisers of QSSE 2018, said: “We had high hopes for this exhibition and were confident it would be a success, but it has even exceeded our expectations. The level of support we have had from governmental, semi-governmental and private sector entities from within Qatar and beyond has been exceptional.”