COVER STORY
QUICK FACTS
20 JUNE 2018
change. Our challenge is to get enough milk. If
we can make enough milk, the people in Qatar
will buy it.”
QATAR’S Ministry of Municipality and Environment
for agricultural, livestock and fisheries
affairs says self-sufficiency in local vegetable
production stood at 24%, dates at 86%, green
fodder at 50%, milk and dairy at 82%, chicken
at 98% and eggs at 23% after the blockade.
Spokesman Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser Al
Thani says animals for commercial purpose
have increased to 1.6 million head and self-sufficiency
in fish at 80%. The second National
Development Strategy 2018-2022 has already
started.
Four large strategic projects for the production
of vegetables over one million sq metres have
been planned, using treated wastewater to conserve
precious resources. A new fisheries project
will involve floating cages with a capacity
of 1000 tonnes per year, and a shrimp farm. Al
Thani says the mega-projects will see self-sufficiency
increase to 70% of fresh vegetables,
100% of dairy products, 90% of eggs, and 100%
of fish and shrimp.
Scientific research is the appropriate tool for
agricultural growth, Al Thani says, and research
will include raising agricultural productivity as
well as evaluating and adopting modern technologies.
The Aquatic Fisheries and Research
GDP: US$165 billion (2015)
GDP PER CAPITA: US$73,653 (2015)
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Arabic
CURRENCY: Qatari Rial (QAR)
WORLD BANK EASE OF DOING BUSINESS
RANKING (2017): 83 of 190 (NZ ranked 1 of 190)
CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX RANKING
(2016): 31 of 176 (NZ ranked 1 of 176)
FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS: NZ – GCC FTA
pending, (New Zealand – Gulf Cooperation Council)
VALUE OF NZ EXPORTS: US$20.44 million
(2016) New Zealand’s 76th largest market in 2016
POPULATION: 2.2 million (2015)
LAND AREA: 11,586 sq km
DENSITY: 192.9 people/km2
QATAR IS:
• a country with the highest per-capita GDP in
the world
• home to more expatriates than nationals –
just one sixth of the population are Qatari
• sitting on the third-highest known gas reserves
in the world
• hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
Gulf Food Production cheese factory