Qatar National Food Security Programme Seeks to Develop 1400 Farms in Qatar

Doha, June 28 (QNA) - Chief Executive of Qatar National Food Security Programme (NFSP) Fahd bin Mohamed Al Attiyah said the programme seeks to develop all the 1400 farms in Qatar whether through the introduction of technology in the production or the training of labour. In a press statement he gave today on the sidelines of the opening of the forty-fifth meeting of the World Water Council's Board of Governors, Al-Attiyah said the programme will develop those farms to become more able to meet Qatar's food needs and will also work to develop an institutional and legislative framework to support, revitalize and develop this sector in terms of research, education, marketing or processing, confirming that this plan will be completed by the year 2014. He pointed out that Qatar National Food Security Programme is a framework that brings together 18 government institutions working to develop a comprehensive, coherent and intact plan for food security in Qatar. Al-Attiyah noted that the participation of all those institutions aims at making possible the implementation of the plan in all its dimensions within a period not exceeding ten years, saying that Qatar aspires to achieve food security by the year 2024. He also confirmed that Qatar is working to prepare a comprehensive plan including water security because access to food security comes from the provision of water security. The Chief Executive Officer of Qatar National Food Security Programme explained that the comprehensive plan for food security requires the development of solutions at the state level in terms of providing water sustainably, which meant that desalination plants should rely on renewable energy such as solar energy, which is available in Qatar and can be exploited well in this area. He added that Qatar has one of the highest rates of world consumption of water, adding this requires a review of the methods and systems of water consumption. He praised in this regard, the national campaign national to rationalize and raise the efficiency of water and electricity use launched by Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation earlier this year. Al-Attiyah underlined the need to take advantage of every drop of water produced in Qatar through recycling operations, and ensure that water is not wasted either through networks and systems of water transportation or by consumers themselves, stressing the importance of consumers' awareness of the value of even a single drop of water. The Qatar National Programme for Food Security was established in 2008 as an initiative by HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. QNFSP's objective is to develop a sustainable Food Security policy for Qatar by increasing and enhancing domestic agricultural production, and strengthening the reliability of food imports from abroad. The program will use solar energy for the desalination of sea water that will be used for agricultural production, will also develop research and development centers and educational facilities and , put advanced technologies that will enable Qatar to diversify its economy while preserving its natural resources to achieve food security in the end.(QNA)