Qatar aims 3mln annual fingerlings production

Qatar aims 3mln annual fingerlings production

Doha: The Agricultural Affairs Department at the Ministry of Municipality has signed a new agreement with a local company to operate Aquatic Research Center at Ras Matbakh in a bid to enhance local seafood production and strengthen country's food security.

“The agreement aims at increasing the production of the Center by over 30 percent from two million to three million fingerlings and larvae of most popular local fish and prawns in a year,” Director of Fish Affairs Department, Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Dehaimi, told The Peninsula.

He said that fingerlings of five types of local fish including Al Safi, Al Sebaiti, Al Sha’m, Al Hamour and prawns will be produced in large quantity.

“The new agreement which came into effect from March 1, 2023 will be for three years,” said Al Dehaimi.

He said that a tender has been awarded to a local agricultural company Agrico, following a bidding process after the end of the previous agreement.

“The production is expected to increase about 30 percent from two million fish fingerlings and prawn larvae at present to three million under the new agreement in a year,” said Al Dehaimi. He said that Agrico, which is a leading company in this sector, will meet the target of