Local date production projected at 27000 tonnes this year – MENAFN.COM

Local date production projected at 27000 tonnes this year – MENAFN.COM

(MENAFN - Gulf Times) Date production for this year is projected at 27, 000 tonnes, achieving a 76% rate of self-sufficiency, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has said. In an infograph posted on social media on Saturday in connection with the ongoing sixth Local Dates Festival at Souq Waqif, the MME said that Qatar's palm tree reserve is estimated at 650, 000-700, 000 trees, spanning an area of 2. 2 hectares. Roughly 17% of the country's agricultural land (about 13, 000 hectares) houses palm trees. The festival, meanwhile, continued at Souq Waqif with an official stating that more quantities of dates would be available in the coming days. Ahmed al-Yafai, head of agricultural guidance and services at the MME's Agricultural Affairs Department, told local Arabic daily *Arrayah that sales on the first day of the festival amounted to around 8, 700kg of various types of locally-produced dates. The festival is being held from July 15-30, taking place every day from 4pm-10pm, amid the observance of coronavirus (Covid-19) measures. Al-Yafai said that the coming days of the event will see more quantities of dates on display for customers. He stressed that retail prices at the festival are almost half