Third edition of dates festival to be launched on July 19

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) agriculture section will organise the third edition of the local dates festival at Souq Waqif from July 19 to August 4 to coincide with the dates production season in the country.The event will see the participation of a number of local farms and companies, the MME has said in a statement.The festival, sponsored by the Souq Waqif management, is part of the MME’s efforts to maintain the cultural heritage of the country and attract more tourists, in addition to encouraging farmers to preserve and develop their palm trees and keep them in the best shape possible. It has also been accredited as an annual event that promotes interaction among farmers in the field and serves as an excellent platform to exchange related experiences, the statement notes.The upcoming festival will display all types of Qatari dates and the participating farms will display their produce for sale throughout the event. Accordingly, the organising committee of the festival has put forward a number of conditions to guarantee the quality and health and safety of the products on display. Dates should be free from disease or any insect-caused infection; they should also be free from traces of insecticide and chemicals, which is to be confirmed in co-operation with the Ministry of Public Health. Also, the texture and smell of the dates should be normal.Some 175 tonnes of dates were sold at a total market price of QR1.3mn during the previous dates festival at Souq Waqif, and the country has attained more than 80% self-sufficiency in dates production, according to the MME.Through such festivals and by offering farms more support, the officials concerned hope to attain 100% self-sufficiency in the upcoming season.The festival will be open to the public daily from 4pm until 10pm throughout its duration.This edition of the festival will also include a number of forums on relevant issues, a dates exhibition and a competition for household palm trees. Registration is open at the MME’s Agriculture Affairs Department for those willing to take part. In addition, the MME will conduct a number of workshops to instruct the public on various technical issues involved in palm tree planting. Meanwhile, the MME’s agriculture section is preparing to organise another festival in October, whose details will be officially announced after the conclusion of the third local dates festival.