CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DR. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

Qatar

PM and President of Ukraine open AgriteQ

Published: 21 Mar 2018 - 09:16 am | Last Updated: 28 Dec 2021 - 05:44 pm
Prime Minister and Interior Minister, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, watching as Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko watering a plant during the opening of the 6th Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition & Conference.

Prime Minister and Interior Minister, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, watching as Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko watering a plant during the opening of the 6th Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition & Conference.

Sanaullah Ataullah | The Peninsula

DOHA: Prime Minister and Interior Minister, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, and President of the Republic of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, opened yesterday the 6th Qatar International Agricultural Exhibition & Conference (AgriteQ) at Doha Exhibition & Convention Center (DECC).

The event is part of state’s efforts to increase self-sufficiency in food production and reducing its dependency on imported products in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.

The three-day event is showcasing the most important agricultural products and equipment, and innovative agricultural techniques and latest developments in the agricultural sector in Qatar. AgriteQ 2018 also creates opportunities for producers and traders to ink deals to boost their business and offers latest technologies that can be used to support the agricultural sector. 

The first day of the exhibition witnessed a series of environmental and agricultural recreational activities. “The “Milk Production Competition” and “Sheep Competition” were held in the auction area while a children’s play took place on the mini- zoo stage. 

Other activities include a “Meat Competition”in the auction area, a number of recreational activities such as a children’s play and a lecture to raise awareness of children about agriculture sector. 

The opening ceremony was attended by H E Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi, Minister of Municipality and Environment, Dr Ahmet Eşref Fakibaba, Minister of Food, Agriculture and livestock of Turkey in presence of a high-level international delegation consisting of dignitaries from the participating countries and big number of ambassadors. 

The event, which will run till March 22 from 9am to 9pm is hosting more than 313 exhibitors from over 36 countries occupying four large halls with a total space of 21,875 square meters. The number of exhibition halls has been increased due to the remarkable growth of participants, which rose by 100 percent as compared to last year’s edition.

The exhibition presents the perfect platform to share expertise and best practice, which has noted the participation of new countries such as Iran, Spain, Pakistan, Oman, Syria, Bulgaria, Sudan, Lebanon and the Netherlands and Palestine among many others.

H E Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi said in his inaugural speech at the event: “The AgriteQ2018 is being held in line with the wise vision of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and as part of Qatar’s strategy to promote its national agricultural sector and diversify its economy, broadening its targets towards increasing self-sufficiency in food production and the country’s domestic production capacities and reducing its dependency on imported products in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030”.

Al Rumaihi added: “The successful editions of this exhibition during the past years are due to the commitment of the wise leadership to use all the possibilities available to make it one of the most important international platforms that gathers highly-respected experts and specialists in this field. It reflects the government’s continuous support and effective contribution in enabling agricultural projects by encouraging investments in this sector, in addition to encourage young nationals to engage in agriculture”.

The Minister of Municipality and Environment underscored AgriteQ’s capability to provide visitors with an integrated platform for the latest developments in agricultural technologies at the local and international levels, as well as to explore and seize business investment opportunities in this vital sector. He emphasised the ministry’s commitment in developing and supporting the agricultural sector to achieve the government’s ambitions to make Qatar one of the most developed countries in this field.

Dr Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, Assistant Undersecretary of Agricultural Affairs, Livestock and Fisheries, at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Organisation and Supervision of AgriteQ Exhibition, said: “The exhibition reflects the vital role of the agricultural sector in achieving comprehensive and sustainable development in Qatar. It aims to encourage nationals to invest in the agricultural sector, and increase revenues generated by this sector by providing Qataris working in the field of agriculture with an ideal opportunity to learn about the latest equipment, technologies and agro-products that drive the development and growth of this most essential sector”.

In parallel with AgriteQ2018, leading agricultural and environmental specialised exhibitions will be held, including VeteQ, a specialised platform for veterinary health. It showcases a broad range of veterinary products, equipment and services for livestock, poultry and other species; FoodteQ, a specialized platform for the food and agro-industry. 

It showcases food products, as well as food processing and packaging machinery, among others; EnviroteQ, a specialized platform for environmental management and conservation. It showcases technologies related to water treatment, waste management, and smart farming, among others.  AgriteQ is featuring for the first time the AgriteQ conference 2018, which aims to bring together agricultural, environmental and veterinary experts and technology services providers from around the world, to discuss strategies to meet the demand for agriculture in Qatar.