National Day/ CEO of Hassad Food to QNA: National Day Synchronization with World Cup Represents Catalyst to Proceed with Progress

Doha, December 14 (QNA) - The Chief Executive Officer of Hassad Food Company Eng. Mohamed Badr Al Sada underlined that the strategic cooperation and integration carried out by Hassad Food in lockstep with multiple state institutions to achieve food security for the State of Qatar is primarily a translation of the national day slogan on the ground, and represent a roadmap for the generations to come. In exclusive statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Qatar National Day, Al Sada added that the synchronization of the joyous national day for the state, including the national values and the impressive organization of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament represents a catalyst for Hassad Food to further proceed with the progress and achieve successful investments locally and internationally in pursuit of achieving food security. CEO of Hassad Food Company said that the portfolio of international investments for Hassad Food witnessed a remarkable growth in their value by achieving 9 percent during 2022, representing the success of the financial performance for the company's strategic and commercial investments that are squarely intended to achieve food security for the State of Qatar, outlining that Hassad's investments in Australia have achieved a revenue with 15 percent, and 9 percent in Canada and Turkey for the year 2022, pointing out that Hassad Food has investments in 6 countries worldwide in food and agriculture areas, and the company has invested in global institutions and enterprises operating in grain, meats, poultry, livestock and fish sectors in several countries such as Australia, Canada, Turkey, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. Regarding the investments of Hassad, he pointed out that Hassad Food owns 9 strategic local investments that aim to support food security efforts for the State of Qatar, the most prominent of which is Aswaq for food facilities management, Mahaseel for Marketing and Agricultural Services, Arab Qatari Agricultural Production Company (Qt fa), Arab Qatari for Poultry Production, Aalaf Qatar, strategic grain storages, National Food Co (NAFCO), in addition to Hassad's investment in Baladna and Widam companies. Commenting on the flagship achievements of the local investments for 2022, CEO of Hassad Food Company pointed out that Aswaq has operated Al Khor and Al Ruwais fish markets in December 2022, and received 5.3 million boxes, 219,000 pallets at Al Sailiya Central Market and received a roughly one million visitors, while in Umm Salal Central Market over 19.2 thousand tones of fishes have been received, along with roughly 650,000 visitors, whilst Al Wakra Central Market received over 100,000 heads of livestock, and roughly 500,000 visitors, he said, adding that the camel market auctioned over 18,000 heads of camels and received approximately156,000 visitors, pointing out that Mahaseel for Marketing and Agricultural Services marketed 20 million kilos of vegetables in 2022, in addition to providing agricultural services to 400 local farms with the distribution of over 100 direct sales points to the consumers, as well as providing training courses to the farmers concerning picking, spraying, transportation and storage processes in co-operation with the Ministry of Municipality, where105 farmers were registered for the agricultural season 2022-2023 in Daman program, he said. Eng. Mohamed Badr Al Sada stated that Aalaf Qatar company has succeeded in producing roughly 13,000 tons of locally cultivated green fodders, selling out nearly 100,000 of the subsidized fodder to the citizens, as well as selling out over 17,000 tons of locally cultivated and imported green fodders and supplements, revealing that the strategic grain storages have been developed with the augmentation of their total storage capacity to store 300,000 tons of grains, he said, adding that new storages have been added bringing the total number to 25 storages with the capacity of 12,000 tones for each, in addition to producing over 7.5 million bags of Barley and chard, and importing of 335,000 tons (8 shipments) from grain fodder (Barley and chard), pointing out that Arab Qatari for Poultry Production has succeeded in producing over 6,000 tons from poultry, and 100 million of local table eggs, he said, adding that the company intends to increase the production to 16 million hens, and 130 million of table eggs annually. Concerning Qt fa, Eng. Mohamed Badr Al Sada revealed that the company has succeeded in converting 40,000 square meters of open agriculture into protected agriculture, along with the production of over 80,000 tons of vegetables, cultivating over 40,000 palm trees via tissue culture, increasing the productivity of the square meter through the utilization of the modern irrigation system, converting the system of sorting and grading the vegetables into an automated system, as well as the optimal utilization of water through converting the agriculture in soil into hydroponics. he said, in addition to supplying the farmers with high-quality vegetable seedlings, providing technical support, and supervising a group of local farms, besides hiring credited clients for over 20 global trademarks in the area of agricultural inputs and equipment, pointing out that Qt fa has received the Global G.A.P certification through the application of the best agricultural practices based on the international standards, along with its success in converting the plant waste into organic fertilizer (Compost) and reusing it in agriculture in pursuit of optimizing the soil characteristics. In the area of dates production, Al Sada clarified that NAFCO has manufactured over 2000 tonnes of dates, marketing over 650 tons of dates locally, exporting 500 tons of dates abroad through the charitable association (In co-operation with the Ministry of Municipality), he said, asserting that Hassad Food has played an essential role in the crisis and major events management in the state of Qatar, since it is the state's investment arm in food and agriculture sector and has a successful model in this regard, pointing out that Hassad Food has set the rapid intervention plan which is commensurate with its investment strategies to ensure food security for the State of Qatar, underlining that Hassad Food has the ability to supply all kinds of grain and wheat from multiple sources, including North America, Latin America, Turkey, Australia, and the Black Sea region. He noted that are successful models in fulfilling all needs of the local market from the core foodstuff, especially during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic when part of the state food supplies has been affected and Hassad Food has coordinated with the competent authorities to intervene in pursuit of ensuring the constant supplies of all products required by the local market from several countries, including during the blockade period in 2017, he pointed out, confirming that Hassad Food had a key role in opening new shipping lines (Air, sea, land), and the private sector has been using them until this day in fulfilling the requirements of the local market. (QNA)